It’s common knowledge that every HHS student’s favorite time of year comes in May when Spirit Night finally arrives, but for many students Spirit Night begins months before the actual event.

For those involved in student government, whether it be in student council or in individual class cabinets, preparation for Spirit Night begins with the start of the school year. Students meet each week to decide on a theme for their grade, taking into consideration the dance, mural, commons display, and video that they will have to create.

This year, students from each grade decided upon Freshman Fiesta, Sophomore Sugar Rush, Junior Jazz, and Senior Saddle-Up.

The freshman class, led by President Rocco George, chose Freshman Fiesta because of its expansive music selection. Their theme will revolve around parties and festivities, with a celebration of Spanish culture.

“I’m looking forward to just working with my peers leading up to our first Spirit Night,” George said. “We’ll learn this year [with Fiesta] what to expect in the future.”

This year’s sophomores voted on Sophomore Sugar Rush, which Vice President Ty Kang believes can give the sophomores the competitive edge they need. Their theme will revolve around anything related to candy, so the judges can expect the sophomores to be very sweet.

Junior class president Connor Leoni guided his class in choosing Junior Jazz, which will revolve around classic jazz music as well as the culture and traditions of the 1920s.

“It’s a unique theme that we can do a ton with,” Leoni said. “I can’t wait to get going and I know our grade will do a great job with it.”

Finally, the class of 2018 voted on Senior Saddle-Up, an old western theme that will allow the seniors to enjoy their last Spirit Night as cowboys. Senior Class Secretary Colin Downes believes that Senior Saddle-Up will be successful because of its originality.

“We chose Saddle-Up because it was a never before seen idea with endless opportunities,” Downes said. “The uniqueness of Senior Saddle-Up contributed to our excitement because it provides the best possibility for our grade to show the judges and the rest of the school that we can produce amazing results.”

As the year goes on the friendly competition will increase between grades, but for now each grade is focused on individually preparing the best ideas to bring them to victory.