A Night to Remember - 2023 Homecoming Highlights MASQUERADE

Benjamin Hsu, Jesse Kwok, and Jake Yen (G11, Class of 2025)

Kaohsiung American School Homecoming Recap

Introduction:

It’s that time of the year again! A night all high school students look forward to: Homecoming. This year, our student council worked extra hard and went above and beyond to bring us “THE 90’S MASQUERADE”. Students attended a special kind of ball experience in costumes and wearing masks. Apart from this, KAS students were allowed to invite non-KAS students to engage with those outside the school community. A celebrity was also invited to perform for the crowd!

Decorations and themes:

This year's homecoming venue once again found its vibrant setting within the familiar walls of our school cafeteria. As students entered, they were welcomed by stuco members, in masks, at the ticket booth. To the left, a small spread of snacks and refreshing drinks awaited, along with some, guess what, (non-alcoholic) champagne! Unfortunately, the food and drinks quickly ran out and there was not enough for refills–some students probably left with a half-empty stomach, not to mention the poor choice of flavors for the cold pizza.

On a brighter note, the right side of the cafeteria seemed to be the most popular site of the night, as the ever-popular photo booth beckoned students to take legendary photos with their friends and (some) teachers! There was a significant improvement to the photo booth, as those of the past were temporary setups on a large piece of fabric. It was obvious that everyone enjoyed that part of the venue, as evidenced by the laughter and smiles.

Amid the (very) elegant ambiance of the room, an abundance of chairs and tables was

thoughtfully arranged, providing comfortable seating where students could relax, chat, and hang out. In the far center of the cafeteria, lay the performance area. The stage was neatly arranged, with 90’s color schemes implemented into the decorations. A DJ played some (mediocre, in my opinion) music but it fits the mood and students liked it! The stage would be where the students would sing, dance, (and even rap) their hearts out!

Fashion and Style:

KAS students never disappoint when it comes to drip. Being the most attractive student body ever, of course, everyone showed up in style. Most guys that night decided to go with the classy black suit with white shirt look (Sharp!). The girls, however, had much variety in dresses! Many colors, and many different styles, but they all looked amazing! Masks are a huge part of a masquerade ball, but that seems to be the biggest missing part about the whole stuco. The Stuco also had many masks for sale, but it seemed like not many people bought them. It feels like the key identity of a masquerade party was missing, but the participants' creative and colorful suits and dresses definitely made up for it.

Performances:

The crowd at homecoming was yet again spoiled with fabulous and exciting singing and musical performances performed by our classmates and peers. We had students singing, and playing multiple instruments, including drums, guitar, bass guitar, and piano. There was also a spectacular dance performance from a group of students. The homecoming event started off with a captivating performance by the Street Art Club. The group consisted of six talented performers: Dennan, Alishba, and Carina on vocals, Steve and Renee on bass and guitar respectively, and Travis and Grace on drums and piano. Their performance of "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You" was truly mesmerizing from beginning to end, and the standout performer was undoubtedly guitarist Renne Huang who transitioned from simply playing guitar to being the vocalist in the middle and got the entire audience screaming and jumping up and down. Their seamless transition into the next song, marked by the energetic "Hey, Hey, Hey” was also noteworthy.

With these amazing performances, it is safe to say that the audiences were engaged and enjoyed the performances thoroughly. The school spirit was high, and the enthusiasm of the crowd was palpable, as they cheered and clapped, creating an electric atmosphere that resonated throughout the cafeteria.

The vibrant array of talents displayed on stage showcased the incredible diversity and artistic prowess within our school community.

And don’t forget the exciting surprise that added even more star power to our homecoming event. We had a special celebrity guest SHOU (婁峻碩) who graced our stage and brought the house down with some unforgettable rap performances. The crowd erupted in sheer excitement as this renowned artist took the stage, delivering an electrifying performance that had everyone on their feet.

Student Reactions:

Carina Lin, president of the student council, said “It was the best homecoming ever”

After a disappointing homecoming last year, most people agreed that this year's event definitely topped the Night in Paris-themed homecoming last school year. The overall vibe was way better than that of last year, and the song choices were much better and more up-to-trend. However, it was by no means “the best homecoming ever,” Carina. There was a recognizable decline in participation, as there were many empty spaces in the cafeteria that were not filled with people. The disappointment from last year and the pricing factor influenced a lot of people’s decision not to come. The pricing was a big factor as ticket prices went up from 180 NTD last year to 360 NTD per person this year. (That’s double the price !!) The Student Council received much criticism on the price, and it was later lowered to 300 NTD per person.

Most of the students thought of the night as mediocre or decent, but there were many fun moments such as the students' performance, taking photos, and generally socializing with others. There were two common criticisms, which were the lack of food, and the celebrity artist. The main food (pizza) ran out quickly and the refills were limited and that also ran out quickly. Clifford Lee (Sophomore) suggests that the stucco should give out one small dinner box per person so that everyone can have a chance to eat. As for the celebrity artist, Shou’s performance, there was a mixed review of it. Most of the crowd listening to Shou singing were girls, and they seemed to enjoy it, dancing and singing around. However, many students did not like it. He was late for quite a while, and many were not familiar with the songs. According to an inside source, the stucco spent $60,000 NTD to have the artist perform at homecoming. Ethan Lee (Senior) said, “Instead of finding that (whoever that artist is) I’d rather have Jeremy Lin come here to give us some motivational Harvard advice.” We’re no professional accountants but that money could definitely be spent elsewhere, such as on the food and drinks.

Jan (Vice President) and Carina (President) pouring champagne to open the night!

This was one of the most memorable moments of the night, however, there were mixed opinions on this. Some people thought of it as a bit cringe, and others thought it was weird having (non-alcoholic) champagne and cider involved.

Conclusions:

Obviously, there will always be positive and negative aspects to everything, and there’s no exception for homecoming. However, we have to recognize the student council's effort in going above and beyond to bring us the best experience possible. From the upgrade in venue decorations to improvements in song choices and performances, their efforts in inviting celebrities to come perform, their willingness to listen to complaints and reduce prices, and finally allowing students to bring outsiders. The student council did an amazing job in putting together this homecoming event.

Homecoming is more than just a school event; it’s a celebration of tradition, unity, and memories that will last a lifetime. Kaohsiung American School Homecoming 2023 was truly a night to remember, bringing students, staff, and the community together to celebrate school spirit and unity. Homecoming is an event for new experiences, whether it’s dancing and singing with your friends, taking a picture with someone you’d never thought you would, or interacting with different people. The memories created during this event will be cherished for years to come. Although the homecoming has already come to an end, what remains are the bonds and the shared experiences that define our high school years. (It was pretty cool)

Byline:

This article is written by Benjamin Hsu, Jesse Kwok, and Jake Yen, all of us are juniors (11th graders).

We had much fun covering and writing this article about homecoming, thank you for reading!