high school homecoming

With Homecoming Season here, there's a lot more that goes into being ready for your homecoming dance other than finding the perfect homecoming dress, shoes, and accessories. There's also the age-old tradition of choosing your high school's homecoming king and queen, of course!

Well, this tradition has been given a new spin by a Wisconsin high school - this year Madison West High School in Madison, Wisconsin are starting a new tradition of a gender-neutral alternative for their homecoming court. Instead of electing a homecoming king and queen, students can nominate 20 student who they feel best represent Madison West High School, and two students will be chosen "Regent Royalty," regardless of gender. The name comes from their school mascot, which is the Regent.

WMTV explained that this progressive idea was thought up last year, when it was proposed by Madison West High School Gay Straight Alliance members Arwen Sadler and Kate Scholz. And, they worked hard to see their vision through. Students at the high school collected almost 1,000 signatures from students and teachers who supported a more inclusive method for choosing homecoming court nominees. Their hard work paid off, because Homecoming 2015 is the first year this new homecoming policy will be put into place.  Continue reading →

The annual homecoming game brings out the best of us in our homecoming traditions. When I was a student at Huntington High School on Long Island, we used to paint this big boulder at the corner of the back entrance of the parking lot to our school. Not just at homecoming, we would paint it in different themes throughout the school year and for special events, memorials and other such things. It’s one of those traditions that technically we were all vandalizing school property, but officials just looked the other way for the sake of tradition. We had some very talented artists so it was a really great way to get attention from the community.

All over the US students have very creative homecoming traditions to celebrate the occasion. Some traditions are associated with homecoming dances where women adorn themselves in gorgeous homecoming dresses and others are directly related to the game. Many schools and towns host a homecoming parade with floats made by students and teams. Other traditions include pranking the visiting team. Here is the countdown of the top ten truly unique, cute and quirky traditions across America.

 10. Student Participation

Those students who aren’t athletes or band members also get in on the school spirit. Long standing rituals in high schools and universities encourage everyone to join in. Like the University of Oregon, located in the city of Eugene. They host an annual tug-of-war game before the homecoming game. This is a well-established tradition, going as far back as 1967. This playful game has taken hold in other states, going beyond the homecoming season. Such events have inspired the Oregon Area Chamber of Commerce to hold an official event during Summerfest in Wisconsin.

The University of Wisconsin at Platteville is the site of a large-scale construction project. First created by mining students in the 1930s, a large letter “M” was created on the slope of a large hill just east of the city of Platteville. The project is  simply known as “The Big M”, which occupies a large area of 214 x 241 feet on the south slope. Students moved 400 tons of whitewashed stone to make this. The university has a past practice in mining engineering, hence the “M” stands for mining. Before the homecoming game and the dance, students use flares to illuminate the Big M, to pay homage to their rich history.

 9. Costume Parties

Some homecoming games fall on a date that is close to Halloween, on October 31. Schools take this opportunity to host a Costume Ball as a part of the festivities of homecoming week. At some schools, this dress up dance is exclusive to a certain group, like the football team or marching band members.

 

This practice is going strong after all these years at C.E. Jordan High. Located in Durham, North Carolina, C.E. Jordan High School has been hosting this dance since the 1980s. The band members wear scary costumes during their performance at the halftime show. These kind of rituals help break the monotonous routine that band members happen to be more prone to since they have a strict practice schedule. Continue reading →

South Jones High School senior Mary Kate Smith is one busy girl. This Fall brings on her Homecoming Dance, where she's the reigning homecoming queen, dedication to her Mississippi school's soccer team, oh and one more thing... the new kicker for her school's varsity football squad!

Already a star on her school's soccer team, she's bringing her golden foot to a new team - she's the first girl to make the school's varsity football squad. Her response if someone tells her she plays like a girl? Here's what she told TODAY.com:

"I'm me, and I'm not trying to be anybody else. I'll take that as a compliment."

TODAY.com got the whole scoop on this talented girl who proudly wears two things on her head: a homecoming crown, and a football helmet. TODAY.com explained that her football coach, Corey Reynolds, said one of his assistants, Matt Smith, the strength and conditioning coach for Mary Kate's soccer team, suggested Mary Kate be the kicker that'd sought all summer long. Corey explained, "It just turned out to be a blue-eyed, homecoming-queen soccer player."

Corey said he was amazed at the way Mary Kate could kick a 40-yard field goal in practice, calling her "one of the most highly competitive athletes - male or female - I've ever seen."

Mary Kate said field-goal kicks are in theory easier than kicking a soccer goal because the ball is stationary in football, but "the pressure is 10 times worse [in football], with big guys running at you who outweigh you by 200 pounds."

Sounds pretty scary to us, that's for sure!

Of course, Mary Kate's parents are so proud of her! Her dad said, "Here, in the South, where traditional values are very traditional, we were a little concerned about how well she'd be accepted. We've been pleasantly surprised by the support that the community has shown her. We've got a renewed faith that things are equalized for her, and for girls like her." Check out her friends cheering her on, all wearing "We <3 Mary Kate Smith" shirts!

Mary Kate's got a lot to be looking forward to when she graduates from high school and moves onto college. She's planning on playing Division-I soccer next fall at the University of Souther Mississippi and considering a career as an orthodontist. Good luck as South Jones High School's Homecoming Queen Football Kicker!

Source: TODAY.com

With prom season wrapping up and summer approaching, everyone has something new on their minds. Whether it's looking forward to relaxing with family and friends, preparing for college, or getting ready for an unforgettable summer, all of us will eventually have to face the reality of Fall. No worries, because Fall is an exciting time of year! It's back to school, football, and HOMECOMING! We know it is barely summer, but we are so excited to find out one of our favorite and most fabulous designers, Jovani Fashions, has announced their 2014 Homecoming collection on Facebook and their website! These dresses are so gorgeous and so much fun, we couldn't wait to share them with you!

Jovani has taken a fun, fresh approach to their homecoming designs for 2014, just like the start of a new school year. There are many bright colors to remind us of growth, instead of the typical earth tone colors we usually see for Fall. Also, the illusion trend that started early in the prom 2014 season made its way far into the Fall and is gorgeous on many Jovani homecoming designs!

Some other trends the designer decided to embrace are interesting "mod" floral patterns, as well as various black and white ensembles which are very elegant, yet young.

We are super excited to see the playing up and down of sleeves and midriffs in this unique line, too! With the weather still warm enough, Jovani designers did an excellent job of incorporating some cropped top designs and different sleeves for a breath of fresh Fall fashion air.

Even if you still have prom on the brain, it's okay! Just know you still have something special to look forward too! There are going to be many special moments ahead and thanks to amazing designers like Jovani, you will look beautiful in them! Do you have any favorites from the Jovani Homecoming 2014 collection yet? The dresses aren't available yet, but we'll make sure to update you once they are!

Homecoming Season is here! To ensure your special night goes perfectly, Twist Magazine recently chatted with Laura Marano, star of shows Without a Trace, Back to You, and Austin and Ally. Why did Twist catch up with Laura for a little Homecoming advice? Because she definitely knows a thing or two about getting dressed up for formal events!

Here's the tips she revealed to the magazine to make sure your night is perfect:

1. Be confident: "I think the most important tip is to wear what you feel comfortable in. If it's not 'in' — like the current trend or style — but you still love it, you should 100 percent wear it. I think if you love a dress and you feel comfortable in it, then that's the dress for you."

2. Consider your dress' length: "I think homecoming and winter formal dances [call for] shorter dresses. Prom is a big long dress scenario," the Austin & Ally star explains. "At the same time, if you're like me and love to dance at parties, you want to make sure the length is appropriate. There's nothing like having a super-short dress and being uncomfortable all night in it — that's actually the worst thing ever. So even though homecoming dresses are fun and short, make sure you feel comfortable with the length."

3. Have fun dressing up: "My school has a certain homecoming theme, and I think you can always have fun with a theme," Laura says. "For freshman year we had H2-Homecoming — it was a water theme. I wore a Betsy Johnson dress that reminded me of a mermaid. I thought it was awesome because it kind of went with the theme."

We especially love the dress she's wearing in the above picture, because it's a perfect look and length for Homecoming, just as she recommends. For a similar dress for your Homecoming dance, try Tony Bowls TS21312. It's a chiffon short a-line cocktail dress with illusion cap sleeves and bateau neckline.

Why else are we loving Laura's look and advice? Because she's a Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF ambassador! What a great cause to support, and with Homecoming and Halloween season here, we're supporting her all the way!

Source: Twist Magazine

It's Fall, The Vampire Diaries Season Premiere was last night, and The Originals' had their show premiere earlier this week! We are most definitely back into the Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder, and Paul Wesley spirit!

One thing that we're always loving is Nina's style. Not only does she wear some killer styles on The Vampire Diaries, but she never disappoints off-screen, either. Seventeen Magazine posted a picture of Nina all ready for the Fall months, wearing a leather jacket and purple ombre jeans that we're totally crushing over. She looked so chic, and we just can't get over the ombre look!

We love the ombre trend! It's a look you can pull off year-round, and wear from your day-to-day style to your next formal event. Want to bring Nina's style to Homecoming or Prom? Check out our favorite purple ombre looks below, and click here to shop all ombre dresses.

For a cute short purple ombre look for Homecoming, we love Dave & Johnny style 8725. The dress has spaghetti straps and an exaggerated sweetheart neckline. The jewels and elegant beadwork all throughout the bodice gives the dress such an opulent look.

For a deep to light purple bold look like Nina's jeans, it's all about La Femme style 17004! It's a gorgeous ombre chiffon gown with criss-cross designs across the sweetheart neckline. This simple and elegant dress lets the ombre speak for itself, the same way that Nina let her pants speak for themselves by pairing them with a plain black shirt and jacket.

For a fun and sparkly look, we're obsessed with Jovani style 6432. It's a strapless ball gown with a mirrored sequin bodice and ombre skirt. It's a perfect way to really have a stand-out look!

Do you love Nina's purple ombre style? Leave us a comment and let us know below!

School is just around the corner and you know what that means.. homecoming! And, everyone here at Rissy Roo's is definitely excited for homecoming! Not only are we looking forward to helping you pick out your dream dress, we want to show you some new hair styles to pull the entire look together. Let's get started!

Jennifer Lawrence looks flawless with never ending beach waves, a look so perfect for homecoming. It keeps your hairdo simple, while still being so on trend.

A huge trend this year are finger waves. It's a classic, yet, elegant take on traditional curls, and Katy Perry wears the look so well in the above picture. It's a very elegant look to choose!

Half up half down is the perfect mixture of party and professional! You can rock this style with straight or curly hair! Dianna Agron's look above is so easy to do by yourself, or take the picture to your hairstylist for them to do it for you!

Be bold by adding some accessories to your hair to spice things up a bit! This is a perfect hair choice if you're wearing a more subdued dress.

What hairstyles are you gushing over for your upcoming homecoming dance?

Summer is still in full swing, but believe it or not, Homecoming is just around the corner! So, we've been working tirelessly at Rissy Roo's to get ready for the upcoming Homecoming season in order to help all of you Roo Girls find your perfect dresses. PRWeb recently featured us, discussing how we're preparing and what trends will be the hot looks for this upcoming Homecoming season. It was a great article, so we wanted to share it with you!

Here's the article:

Rissy Roo’s Homecoming Dresses 2013- New Fall Collections by Top Formal Wear Designers Like Sherri Hill, Jovani, and Tony Bowls Added

With prom season ending and summer just beginning, Rissy Roo’s is now preparing for yet another busy homecoming season. The upcoming fall collections by top formal wear designers like Sherri Hill, Jovani, and Tony Bowls are the newest additions to their online store at https://rissyroos.com.

Rissy Roo’s, one of the leading online stores for women’s formal wear, offers gorgeous designer looks for all types of special occasions, including prom, homecoming, weddings, and more. When it comes to the latest trends, the store is continuously updated to not only suit every type of social occasion, but every kind of individual style, as well.

Homecoming season is just as big as prom season. With all of the new arrivals coming in, the new school year is definitely going to start off in style. Formal wear designers really stepped it up a notch with their new Fall 2013 styles and designs. One of the biggest trends coming back this fall is the one shoulder look. A stylish way that this trend is making an appearance in designers’ fall lines is as part of sequin dresses. Marissa Sharp, owner of Rissy Roo’s, explains, "Sequin dresses are timeless. You can never go wrong with a sparkly dress. Not just for homecoming but for any formal occasion." This timeless piece combined with the eye-catching one shoulder trend gives it a whole new, unique look. A great example of this trend that can be found at Rissy Roo’s is Shail K's stunning one sleeve cocktail dress style KK3157. This dress showcases an intricate beading design throughout the entire dress, with a chunky jewel detail at the wrist. It’s a perfect combination of the classic look with an edgy twist for a number of different formal events.

A look that will never go out of trend for homecoming or prom is the baby doll style dress. Browsing through the Rissy Roo’s website immediately allows one to see that this holds true, as it is one of the most popular looks in the new Fall 2013 lines of designers like Clarisse, Sherri Hill, and Mac Duggal. Baby doll style dresses are flattering on all body types, which is part of the reason the style has stayed so popular. A homecoming baby doll dress that’s bound to turn heads is Clarisse style 2016, which is available at Rissy Roo’s. This dress has a beautiful sweetheart neckline, a flirty tulle skirt, and delicate crystal and sequin detailing throughout. The sequins and crystals line the neckline and fall vertically down to the waistline, where the dress then flares out into a tulle skirt. It is the perfect dress to give girls the confidence to start the new school year off right.

Sheer is an up-and-coming trend that started to make an appearance this Prom 2013 season, and is sure to be one of the most popular styles for Homecoming 2013. Sharp explained, "It’s a classy way to show off some skin." The style was first made popular for Prom 2013 by Sherri Hill, and now designers like Jovani, Mac Duggal, and Mori Lee are making sheer big parts of their collections, as well. One dress at Rissy Roo’s that’s sure to be popular this coming Homecoming season is Sherri Hill Style 8525 cocktail dress. This fun and flirty cocktail dress has a beautiful sheer high neck top, sheer cut-out style back, and a bodice fully covered in sequins.

About Rissy Roo’s: Rissy Roo’s carries the latest designs, including everything from sequins, chiffon, floral print, and lace, to short and long dresses, to plus size dresses, and more. The acclaimed online prom dress and formal gown store aims to make their customers’ dreams come true by helping them find their perfect dress for whatever formal or semi-formal occasion they plan on attending. Rissy Roo’s makes shopping for that perfect dress easier than one could ever imagine, with an almost endless collection of gorgeous dresses from world-famous designers all on one website, available to browse through at the click of a mouse. They have been at the forefront of providing premium quality dresses from designers like Sherri Hill, Jovani, and La Femme for prom and other social occasions for over 30 years now.

Feel free to visit them online at RissyRoos.Com or at their store in Linwood, NJ.