HOMECOMING: Door decorating advice
By Nikita Mohapatra and Albert Hu,
Bluedevilhub.com Staff–
Every year, fourth period classes struggle to come up with an idea for a winning door in Homecoming week’s annual door decorating contest. While some teachers have participating in the competition for a while now, others have just started and are excited to join the annual tradition.
English teacher and Speech and Debate coach Janine Widman is a longtime veteran of door decorating. Last year, her fourth period sophomore class won the Aztec-themed competition.
“We built a huge altar,” Widman recalled. “We hung a dragon from the ceiling, and [a student] even made a cactus. […] It was a pretty great class.”
From her many years of door decorating experience, Widman has learned the trick to winning: “I always said, if you’re going to do it, it has to be 3-D.”
Davis High alumni also offered their thoughts on how to win the contest (this year’s theme is music genres: sophomores are country, juniors are rock and seniors are hip-hop).
Annie Leck, last year’s ASB President and current Tennessee resident, suggested some ideas for sophomores.
“I’d definitely recommend dressing up and having something interactive going on and be into it,” she said. “So for country, I would play country music, get some line dancing going and wear cowboy hats.”
For the actual door, Leck said, “Definitely cowboy boots. Maybe some famous artists, anyone from Dolly Parton to Blake Shelton. Incorporating ‘y’all’ could help with the country twang. Maybe even song lyrics with stereotypical country things like trucks and tractors.”
As someone who judged doors at DHS, Leck was also able to provide some insight into what judges look for: “creativity and how much the participants get into it,” she said.
Former HUBster Emily Lufburrow also weighed in.
“I would say don’t just put something on the door. Make it an experience for the judges. Have music playing. Maybe even have the class dress up a little,” Lufburrow said.
For rock music, she suggested picking “a popular rock band to go off of.”
Sara Pinto, a past Senior Class President and ASB Secretary, noted that judges “are looking for creativity, and it usually helps when it’s something they can laugh at. They like to see effort.”
Specifically for hip-hop, Pinto advised students to “maybe pick something specific to decorate it as, like Fresh Prince of Bel-Air or Straight Outta Compton.”
Although the competition is familiar to many, World Civilization and Psychology teacher Holly Istas is excited to join the decorating competition for the first time.
“I’ve really enjoyed seeing the different door decorations in the past; I think [the competition] is a good way to build school spirit,” Istas said.
Although Istas does not have much experience in door decorating, she is confident in her class.
“My students are pretty excited about it, so I’m letting the seniors take the lead, because I figure they have more experience than I do,” Istas said.
