The Hampton Script

Brandi Howliet | Staff Writer

Homecoming: the time of year when Hampton students go “all out” for a week straight. It’s also looked at as the official kickoff celebration for the school year.

Are you wondering about the new events added to this year’s festivities? Or are you wondering about what artists we’ll have for the concert? Just about everyone else on campus is, too. These questions have been asked frequently regarding this year’s Homecoming.

Although many other schools’ students know what guests they will have by now, Hampton has yet to release any specific details regarding this year’s concert. Following last year’s upset, students are really looking forward to this year’s new and improved Homecoming.

The speculation regarding this year’s concert is at a high. Despite many predictions about this year’s Homecoming, one thing remains certain: We’ve yet to get answers about who is performing. With the theme HUCHELLA — a spinoff from the popular musical festival Coachella held annually in California — many students and alumni have high expectations regarding this year’s turnout. The mystery behind this year’s Homecoming is a popular topic on campus as of right now; the event is only a couple of weeks away, and students want answers.

Students often procrastinate instead of immediately buying tickets to events when they first go on sale, speculating whether or not the events are actually worth attending. Last year, information regarding Homecoming wasn’t released until the week before, so many students were apprehensive about going to the events at all.

Last year’s turnout took a major toll on the campus life and left many students disappointed.

“For me [last year], it was kind of a letdown because we didn’t have a performer and I didn’t feel like everyone, mostly students, [were] involved,” said Anisa Saigo, a third-year journalism major from Brooklyn, N.Y. “So hopefully this year everyone comes together and hopefully we can have a performer.”

She also says that she’s excited for this year, but if it’s not lit, she’ll attend another school’s homecoming.  The turnout of this year’s Homecoming is contingent on students uniting with Homecoming Committee, and with administration listening to our voices.

“There have been a lot of changes we’ve made to homecoming so far,” said Dahyo Coleman, a second-year journalism major from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. “We really want to push the Coachella vibe this year, and we hope everyone has seen that with the flyers that have already went out and will see it with the flyers that will come out. Hampton Homecoming has been stagnant in previous years with events and locations, so this year, we really tried to change that narrative. This has been a huge battle especially, trying to get Hampton to stray away from what we’re comfortable with. One thing we really pushed for this year was listening to the students. I think they fail to often see that at times we do not have control of what we are and aren’t allowed to do. There are certain things that Hampton cannot simply do because of the reputation we’ve built and continue to build for ourselves. Things have to get approved, and that takes time. I have high hopes for this year’s homecoming, and I think if students don’t compare our Homecoming to others and just enjoy what we are able to provide, participate in the Homecoming events, and don’t be afraid to do things you find fun, you’ll really enjoy what we are bringing to the table.”

It seems as if our voices are being heard, and with the help of a little bit of optimism and school spirit, this year’s Homecoming will be better than the last!