Hall Decorating is serious business in Hardin
The junior class at Hardin High School has a Las Vegas-themed hallway and won the contest, announced during the homecoming pep rally.
Hardin High School teachers show their school spirit by dressing as Gryffindor students during homecoming week.
HARDIN– The bright lights of New York City, Hollywood, Las Vegas and Nashville have jammed the hallways of Hardin High School, as part of student council's annual Homecoming hall decorating contest.
The Hardin Hornet Student Council has always shown strong school spirit, and it is never more recognizable than during the annual hall decorating contest, as each grade decorates the hallways and fights for bragging rights.
Amanda Key started the program over 20 years ago to build school spirit.
"I wanted to increase school spirit, it started basic when I say basic, I mean it was bulletin board paper cut out paper flat, not three dimensions, "Key said.
Now, after years of hosting the event, Key, along with parents and students, brings their hearts and minds to the table each year in an ultra-creative way.
The bulletin boards are overflowing with color and personality, and the halls have little to no space to walk through, with every detail and decoration showing school spirit.
Each grade gets a different section of the overall theme.
This year, it was different locales; freshmen had Nashville, sophomores had New York, juniors had Las Vegas, and seniors had Hollywood.
“We started probably a month ago, we start by drawing the halls out. We take pieces of paper, and we draw the hallway plan out,” said Peyton Hotaling.
Students and parents worked on their plans for months leading up to the hall decorating event, held Sunday, Oct. 5, where they had only hours to assemble their visions.
The competition is both tense and stressful, but in the end, it all comes together, and this year, the junior class took the crown with their Vegas theme.
This is just one of the many projects the student council works on throughout the year, recently raising money for cancer research. They take service seriously.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Hardin got into a friendly competition with the Orangefield High School Student Council to see which school could bring in more peanut butter or jelly.
Hardin won, but there has been a lot of winning in Hornet country lately. HHS brought in 3,056.7 ounces of peanut butter, while Orangefield brought in only 206 ounces of jelly.
The goods are all being donated to help those in need of food.
Next on the agenda is the student organization's 9th Annual Trunk or Treat at Hardin Elementary School on Monday, Oct. 27, at 5 p.m.