A “Barbiereffic” Blowout: A Look at IMSA Homecoming 2023

Homecoming has come and gone, and under the theme of “Barbie,” Campus Activities Board (CAB) – supported by Student Council (StudCo) – ran an event to remember! If you want to read more about what happened each day, here’s a summary of what happened:

Monday – Riddle Scandal & Lip Sync Battle!

The riddle event saw fierce competition between sophomores and juniors… since the seniors were disqualified for misconduct (a senior found the answer early and then distributed the answer to their hall group chat.) In the evening’s lip sync battle, juniors impressed with a dynamic Bruno Mars performance, seniors embraced Britney Spears’ spirit with an energetic, albeit chaotic routine, while sophomores showcased originality and emotion in their Rihanna-inspired act, setting the stage for an unforgettable week ahead.

Here’s some more details: https://sites.imsa.edu/acronym/2023/09/19/homecoming-week-day-1-lip-sync-battle-and-the-riddle-scandal/

Tuesday – Game Show!

During the Tuesday night Homecoming event, Game Show, students from all three classes engaged in an hour and a half of lively competitions to earn points for their respective classes. The evening kicked off with Balloon Bounce, where participants maneuvered balloons on paddles, resulting in a victory for senior Winston Mattson (’24). The excitement continued with games like Wrap it Up, Cookie Monster, and Musical Chairs, showcasing intense battles and spirited crowd support. Balloon Stomp took center stage, with juniors allying to triumph over sophomores and eventually securing victory against seniors, led by Ibrahim Bah (’25). Noteworthy was Steven Espinoza (’24) in Blindfold Pillow Knockout, displaying impressive agility. While no class emerged as the definitive winner, the event was a resounding success, evident from the enthusiastic atmosphere in the auditorium.

For more specifics: https://sites.imsa.edu/acronym/2023/09/20/homecoming-week-day-2-game-show/

Wednesday – Capture the Flag!

On Day Three of Homecoming Week, the spirited upperclassmen faced a tough challenge against the numerous sophomores in the capture the flag competition at IMSA. Despite an initial success by senior Garrett Snedden (’24), the juniors, led by agile players like Kavin Venkat (’25) and David Weng (’25), managed to outmaneuver the seniors, securing victory by snatching all three flags. The game intensified as both sides fiercely battled, with quick-thinking upperclassmen like Winston Mattson (’24) and Andrew Katson (’25) defending their territory. In a thrilling turn of events, the upperclassmen made a comeback, reclaiming the sophomores’ flags and sealing their win.

For a deeper look: https://sites.imsa.edu/acronym/2023/09/21/homecoming-week-day-3-capture-the-flag/

Thursday – The Volleyball Game!

On Day Four of Homecoming Week, the scheduled events were cancelled due to the sad news of German instructor Ms. Agnieszka Michalak’s passing. However, the Volleyball game against Newark proceeded as planned. Despite a challenging start with Newark taking an early lead of 0-8, IMSA’s team, led by captain Victoria Nalepka (’24), displayed resilience and impressive plays, narrowing the gap to 5-12 with contributions from Stella Ristic (’25) and Chiamaka Okoli (’24). Despite their efforts, IMSA couldn’t catch up, losing the first set 5-21. The second set showed improvement as IMSA kept pace initially, but Newark’s strong plays led to a final score of 12-25 in favor of Newark. Despite the setback, anticipation built for the final day of Homecoming Week, featuring the Pep Rally and Soccer Game, where each class hoped to shine in the Drill competition.

If you want more information: https://sites.imsa.edu/acronym/2023/09/22/homecoming-week-day-4-the-volleyball-game/

Friday – Pep Rally!

On the final day of Homecoming Week, the much-anticipated Pep Rally commenced with a touching tribute to the late German instructor, Ms. Agnieszka Michalak. The event kicked off with an exciting obstacle course, featuring acrobatic challenges and a pie-smashing finale. The seniors (’24) showcased remarkable teamwork, securing victory by successfully forming a human pyramid and smashing the pie into CAB Director Faizaan Shaikh’s (‘24) face. The Homecoming Drill followed, with impressive performances from all classes. The sophomores (’26) stood out with energetic dances and acrobatics, but the seniors stole the show with their coordinated routines, winning both Drill and the overall Homecoming title. The juniors (‘25) secured second place, while the sophomores put up a valiant effort, ultimately landing in third.

Read on here: https://sites.imsa.edu/acronym/2023/09/28/homecoming-week-day-5-pep-rally/

CAB’s Thoughts on Homecoming! 

The Acronym also wanted to know the planning process for Homecoming, so we talked to CAB Director Faizaan Shaikh (‘24) for some more details. According to him, the biggest roadblock CAB had to face this year was the difference in schedule – Homecoming was pushed up a week, and had to coordinate with the Indian Student Association (ISA) to provide prep time for their culture show – Jalsa. The new schedule rushed CAB to finalize logistics and muffled the quality of some of the events. CAB pressed on, though, and it paid off with a successful Homecoming Dance. While the initial plan was to host Homecoming outside, both gyms provided a unique experience to this year’s dance – the west gym provided a space for people to relax, play games, and have snacks. As Faizaan put it, Homecoming was “a unique, barbiereffic experience.”

Faizaan also provided some insight on how the dance could’ve been improved. The largest hurdle was the lack of advertising – as Faizaan put it, “With Presence.io still not at its full capacity, advertising became an issue as we ended up competing on IVC not just with [ISA], but all the other amazing events that were occurring.” Luckily, the student body generated its own hype, and the turnout was still decent. The main feedback that CAB received about the dance was the inability to request songs for the DJ – a feature that CAB tried their hardest for, yet fell short due to time constraints. Despite their setbacks, the student body praised CAB for their efforts, and we’re all excited about what’s in store for the rest of the year!