Two weeks from now, LZHS students will be celebrating Homecoming with festivities designed to get everyone into the spirit. But one special guest has enough spirit to be celebrating Homecoming 60 years after leaving LZHS.
60 Years Ago
Rennie Oberg graduated in 1952 from Ela-Vernon High School, which was later changed to Lake Zurich High School. She now lives in Florida with her husband and is attending her 60 year high school reunion in LZ this month.
Oberg says Ela-Vernon was a very small, academically strong school, which had the most welcoming and friendly students 60 years ago, and her memories of her school experiences are still strong.
After celebrating four Homecomings as a student, Oberg’s favorite memory of Homecoming is one of the pep rallies.
“Everyone got into it, and the football game was a big deal. Everybody in town went to the ball game,” Oberg said. “Right in the center [of Main Street] there was a bonfire, and there were cheerleaders cheering, and so much going on. Then we had a snake dance that went all around and in and out of the stores. There was all of this cheering and it was just this big parade. Of course we had other pep rallies, but this is the one that stands out in my mind that was so special. The whole town celebrated,” Oberg said.
Oberg says this experience was the most exciting part of Homecoming for students of her generation, but her and her friends also enjoyed the Homecoming dances.
When the pep rallies and the football games ended though, Oberg and her friends enjoyed the Homecoming dance.
“There was a lot of slow dancing, there wasn’t much jitterbug. That age was over, and rock and roll was just coming in, so it was mainly slow dancing,” Oberg said.
The fashions of the time reflected the casual nature of the dances of the day.
“The ankle length dresses and prom dresses were very popular, [and] of course, high heels. At the beginning of my years, there were always sleeves on the dresses, but then later on they had straps instead,” Oberg said. “I remember, one dress I wore a full skirt; everyone wore them.”
Even buying the dress became a memorable experience for Oberg.
“We didn’t have malls, so we had to go into Chicago to buy our dresses,” Oberg said. “[The most popular stores] were Carson Pirie Scott, Marshall Fields, and Lord & Taylor.”
After enjoying her years at Ela-Vernon High School, Oberg is excited to reminisce all of her memories and to be coming home to LZ.
14 Years Ago
Kristen Johnson, a 1998 graduate, also values her memories of the three Homecomings she attended.
“The first thing that pops into mind are the football games on homecoming, seeing who would be crowned Homecoming Queen, everyone being totally pumped up for the game, and all of the excitement in the air for the dance. (The homecoming game was always Saturday afternoon before the dance). Helping with float building was fun, too,” Johnson said. “But, of course the dance was great because that’s when you got to get all dressed up and go out with your friends!”
A lot of the same stores that were popular then are still popular now for Homecoming dresses, like Macy’s, Carson’s, and Volle’s in LZ, according to Johnson. Even though the stores were similar to now, the fashions have absolutely changed.
“Grunge was definitely in, especially my first couple years of high school. Luckily, that didn’t completely translated into what people wore to the dance. However, it was definitely more understated. Bright colors were not in. Girls wore black, evergreen, navy blue, and burgundy colored dresses. Flower patterns, lace, slits, and velvet were all popular dress fabrics and patterns,” Johnson said. “By my senior year dresses got more sparkly! Unlike prom, which was all about the big poofy ball gowns, Homecoming was a lot more casual.”
15 years ago, alternative and pop music became popular dance tunes during HC.
“Alternative music was really in, especially my freshman and sophomore year. By my senior year, pop was starting to make a comeback and groups like the Spice Girls and Hansen were in. The 70’s were really big in the 90’s, too,” Johnson said. “One year, the theme was Saturday Night Fever, so they played disco music along with the popular music of the day. The Macarena was a very popular dance. In fact, the color guard had to do it on the football field during Homecoming one year.”
Even though there are some differences between 15 years ago and now, some events have remained a tradition, yet evolved. These traditions spread from things as small as different colored roses to the big football game.
“The senior football players got to ask their favorite teacher to wear their jersey on Friday. The crowning of Homecoming Queen was my favorite tradition. Each of the Homecoming Queen nominees got a box with a flower in it. All were white, except for one, which was red. They’d all open up their boxes at the same time during halftime of the football game, and that’s how everyone would find out which one was the homecoming queen,” Johnson said. “I remember my freshman year the band played “’Can You Feel the Love Tonight’” from the Lion King on the field during the ceremony, and I thought it was the coolest thing at the time. Also, my senior year we started a new tradition. We had a bonfire at school the night before the game. They played music and the football team got everyone pumped up. Then they crowned the queen.”