With all the time to spare in the Tangled-themed Homecoming, the class of 2027 brings their spin on Spirit Week to count down the days until their final night of dancing.
Posted on their Instagram, the student council announced the themes that the student body would be representing throughout the week, building up to a night in the lights outside at Malden High’s courtyard. With the five days and scattered themes, students and faculty put in the effort to show creativity and care for the CO’27 themes.
The first day of the week was Disney Day, as students were allowed to dress as their favorite Disney character to pay tribute to the Disney movie-themed homecoming. Despite the gloomy weather, many came in stride wearing hair accessories or similar costumes to existing Disney characters.
Moana, Minnie Mouse, Stitch, and other characters would roam the halls as students were able to show their deep connections to characters they’ve grown up with all their lives. “I was Max last year, and I can never get sick of it,” shared Senior Raquel Ferreira, who’s a part of the Student Council, dressed up as Max Goof from the animated series Goof Troop. “It makes me look back at all the things I miss because of nostalgia.”
Despite the number of costumes, many students weren’t allowed to dress up due to the fact that the weather wasn’t in their favor. The gloomy, rainy day resulted in some students feeling less motivated to dress up—feeling that it was too high-effort, and many weren’t participating even. Even with this news, the next day was going to be something easier and caused more involvement.
Next was Adam Sandler Day; dressing in baggy, comfortable clothes matching the popular actor Adam Sandler. Students were able to express themselves more easily compared to Disney Day, as the weather began to clear from the gloomy rain and students had more spirit in their eyes.
“I had fun being able to dress down,” shared Kailey Bae, a senior who was participating in Adam Sandler Day. “Even if it took the least amount of effort, I had fun with my friends and taking pictures.” Many students arrived in baggy sweatpants, jorts, oversized shirts, basketball caps, and slides to mimic corresponding outfits that Sandler had worn throughout his career and movies.
On Wednesday, it was Dress as Your Grade. Everybody was assigned different grades to represent. Freshmen were babies, sophomores were toddlers, juniors were adults, and seniors were senior citizens. The school was scattered with walkers and pacifiers, students being able to show the drastic differences in grades and how they could express themselves in the different decades.
Being able to rewind in time, the theme on Thursday was able to be 2016 Throwback; students were allowed to be nostalgic and take the fashion trends that were popular a decade ago. Distinct digital-age aesthetics like Tumblr and Instagram, skinny denim and leggings, chokers, jumpsuits, and crop tops were all the things that made
“This was the theme I was most looking forward to,” Senior Wongel Yohonnes shared, dressed in a denim jacket and black leggings. She continued by sharing how she and her friends coordinated their outfits to demonstrate their spirit and enthusiasm for the day. 2016 was a major hit, not just due to the nostalgia many students felt but also through a form of shared connection: many students were too young during this time to follow the trends they saw, and being able to illustrate how it fits in today’s time.
To conclude the week, Friday concluded with Bikers vs. Surfers, taking honor in the theme that was the co’27’s Junior Varieties theme. Picking a side between being a surfer, decked in Hawaiian shirts, tropical prints, cropped tops, retro swim trunks, and bikers.
The theme carried on through the Homecoming Football game, as the Tornados were pushed in a hard-fought game against Everetts’ Crimson Tides; bikers and surfers filled the stands and cheered while watching the heated rivalry between the two teams.
Although the game didn’t go the way for the Tornados, Malden students brought highlights to the game by cheering in faith for their team⏤ rising when senior Akre Akre was able to return a kickoff and score a touchdown⏤ giving them a form of hope and enjoyment to what Friday Night Lights can be for a Homecoming night.
All the spirit would come on Saturday night, as the Class of 2027 would transform the courtyard into an amazing light show for the Tangled-themed dance. Students came in dressed head to toe in sparkling purple dresses, with some blending medieval styles and styles popularized in the 2020s, showing the various ways that students express themselves.
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