EMMA PHILBROOK: STUDENT LIFE

Homecoming Week makes the oft- dreadable task of getting up and going to school infinitely more bearable. The decorations in the common areas, the silly costumes, the midday assemblies, and the competitive spirit can make the daily grind much more bearable.

Oh, yeah, and there's a football game at the end or something like that. And possibly also a dance - maybe, but don't quote me on that.

I wrote an article somewhere in this paper concerning the dress-up days and various contests that will take place throughout the week. But I'd really like to give the dress-up days their own personal shout-out, because they make the whole escapade so much more surreal. So here we go: - Monday - "Mustache Monday (Other Facial Hair Included)." This one is pretty self-explanatory. I'm not sure whether we'll count handlebars scribbled on with a dry-erase marker from the whiteboard tray two minutes before the bell rings, which I have a feeling will be rather common.

I will personally be wearing a mustache shaped capelet with "2015" written on it in pink puff paint, mostly because I can't stand the smell of dry-erase markers. - Tuesday - "Country Day." For this one, we seniors gave each of the classes its own separate country. The freshmen will be Brazil (I'll confess that was fairly cruel of us). The sophomores get Egypt. (This can go two ways. Way

1: The sophomores have foresight and make awesome Tut and Cleopatra costumes. Way 2: The school winds up with forty last-minute mummies and two bathrooms without a lick of toilet paper.) The juniors get Russia. (I predict we'll get a handful of Russian dolls, at least a dozen Russian separatists, and several others "Rushin'" to find fur hats that don't smell like mothballs.) And the seniors will be portraying Mexico. I'll be dressing up as a cactus. Wednesday - "Comic-Con." It's named after an event where people come in all manner of comic, manga, or superhero costumes. I never read these things, so I had to take my best guess at an appropriate getup. I'm going as "Super Glue". Thursday - "Throwback Thursday." Getup must represent a style popular before 2000 - this requirement was placed to avoid a bunch of smart alecks coming in wearing their Comic Con costumes. ("Hey, I wore it yesterday, so it's a throwback! Right?") My nefarious plot being foiled, I'm going as a caveman. Er, woman. Friday - "Fantastic Friday," better known as Spirit Day. The awesome architects of this awe-inspiring appellation aim to accentuate their activities with alliteration. But just like every year, everyone will come to school in Cardinal colors. Saturday - "Uncomfortable Clothes You Paid Way Too Much For and Shoes That Don't Fit But Look Cute, So Whatever!" Day. Also known as the "Dia de los Marked Toes", "Corsetterday Saturday", or occasionally as the "Homecoming Dance", although the last one is relatively archaic.