Small Signs, Big Memories

Homecoming Signs Help Students Bond And Create Fun Memories

Photo from Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

As October arrives, so does one major event for students and teachers alike: homecoming. Homecoming is a tradition celebrated in schools across America. This tradition reels in many fun aspects, from dress up days to grand proposals through homecoming signs.

Homecoming signs are big gestures that are typically used to ask someone to the homecoming dance. These signs are a fun way for students to interact, and add a level of excitement to the upcoming dance. Throughout the start of the year, students ask one another to the dance with signs, and being asked can be an exciting feat. The anticipation around who’s asking who can lead homecoming to feel like a larger event. 

“I definitely think homecoming signs add a lot of excitement to homecoming,” Sophomore Daniel Bjorkland said. “Signs are just fun, especially if you’re creative and artistically talented.”

The making of homecoming signs can also encourage school-wide creativity. Typically, a homecoming sign has a pun relating to either the person being asked or the theme of the dance. Coming up with a pun in the first place can be difficult, along with the process of coloring the sign. This task may seem difficult, as it often requires some artistic talent, but those making signs can be a collaborative project with friends, which can encourage others to also create signs.

Not only do signs build excitement, they can help students bond with one another. Making a sign takes time, and typically the maker has to do research on whoever they choose to ask. Putting in the time and effort to make a sign with a pun relating to the person being asked can be difficult at times, showing how thoughtful the maker can be. This thoughtfulness allows students to bond as they learn lesser-known facts about one another, and share them through signs. 

One common issue many people share with homecoming signs is that they can be embarrassing and stressful. If the person asking struggles to build up the courage and asks only to be rejected, they may end up with hurt feelings. This fear is a very common one, but one solution remains obvious: the asker can ask in private before making their grand gesture.

“I think the only real way to get past this fear is to do your homework,” Bjorkland said. “If you know they’re going to say yes, then make a sign.”

Asking in private allows the asker to check in and see if whoever they are asking wants to go to homecoming with them. Asking in private before the proposal can also take stress away from the experience.

Overall, homecoming signs are a fun way for students to bond with one another and encourage school wide creativity. Creating signs can generate excitement towards homecoming, and can grant students everlasting memories.