Walking into the crowded room, you see lights flashing, people dancing, and hear music blaring. The clothes are extravagant, the music is exciting and loud, and people are laughing everywhere. Some people are sitting down, taking in the scene, while others are in line for concessions, candy, and snacks going out each second. You were still reeling over the hype from Under the Lights (UTL), an Ankeny tradition with several amusing, competitive activities. You begin to wonder how great celebrations this special are formed.

HOCO history

Jumping back into 1912, University of Iowa had its first, official homecoming event. It included a small dance and an organized luncheon, both having about 360 attendees. Students did not have the spirit days like Ankeny does, nor anything like UTL. The student attendance was also low compared to Ankeny’s high number of attendance with 1,346 total students.

“I would describe my first homecoming as special. I went with people that I care about and I had dinner before, and it was a very memorable evening,” AHS junior Buxton said. “I plan on going [again] because I want to spend time with my friends. I’ve always celebrated homecoming for my friends”

For Buxton, the night is about connection, not about flashy stereotypes or pressure. He added that the traditions, from themed decorations to group dinners, keep the celebration fun without losing its meaning.

“I think the themes are a fun addition. It’s always interesting to see what someone will come up with based on an idea for a theme,” he said. “I think the stigma that follows around homecoming is silly, and you don’t have to follow it to have a good time.”

That attitude reflects how many students reportedly view the event today — less about expectation, more about shaping this experience for themselves. In 1912, there was no theme, and women wore blank, black or white dresses.

English teacher Emina Kovacevic is AHS’s student council sponsor. She shares a different perspective: one that looks behind the scenes.

“Honestly, if it was just one event, it’s really not that much work to plan, just the dance,” she states. “But it’s the fact that it’s a bunch of events in one week. We have to coordinate the court, the pep assembly, the decorations, ticket sales, and Under the Lights. It’s just a lot of moving parts.”

Kovacevic’s favorite part is watching the entire school buy in, especially during Under the Lights. The event has grown to 65 teams this 2025 year, the most in school history.

“That tells me more kids are finding their people, or they’re putting themselves out there more to form teams,” Kovacevic explained.

For her, homecoming is about fostering that school pride, helping students feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves.

AHS senior and Student Council President River Phillips, echoed the same theme of community, but through a lens of student leadership.

“I went from being in a gym at a really small school with maybe 50 to 100 people to going to a thousand people in the commons with a deejay and the lights,” Phillips said. “It really left an impact on me that Ankeny High School isn’t just 1,300 individuals. We’re a community because we can all come together to homecoming and all have fun.”

Phillips has helped organize and promote the event for several years, from choosing themes to setting up decorations at dawn on the day of the dance.

“Homecoming is not just a dance, it’s a week,” Phillips expressed. “It feels like a tradition rather than just a party, a moment you can keep forever. Nobody is alone at homecoming because everyone is sharing the same experience.”

Even with the stress of planning as Phillips expresses, they convey the effort is worth it for the payoff. Watching the commons turn from an ordinary lunchroom to a packed, decorated dance floor.

As both students and staff agree, the meaning of homecoming has shifted from its 1912 roots at the University of Iowa. What was once a small luncheon and dance for a few hundred is now a weeklong celebration for thousands. In Ankeny, it’s not a formality, but a tradition and place of belonging.

“At the end of the day, my goal is that students feel a sense of pride in where they go to school,” Kovacevic said. “That they want to be involved in things.”