This year, each individual grade at Saint John Vianney High School worked hard during Spirit Week on their Homecoming floats, which were themed around different decades. The freshman float focused on the 20’s, the sophomore’s on the 50’s, junior’s on the 80’s, and the senior’s on the 60’s. All of their floats incorporated symbols of their respective decade, and they were built solely by the students and their class officers with minimal help from any faculty members.

The freshman’s float centered on the roaring 20’s, a decade filled with glitz and glam. Their float, which was set against a city with a sunset backdrop, featured a gangster and a flapper by his side. “We tried to incorporate black and white colors to go along with the theme along with flappers and an old city building. It was very fun to work on the floats and see the results!” said Grace Langdon, a member of the freshmen class. The Class of 2020’s float fully captured the essence of the 20’s and truly made you feel like you were transported into the time of the The Great Gatsby.

The sophomores brought the 50’s to life with their homecoming float, transforming it into a retro diner that would be fitting for any “greaser.” The float brought back many iconic symbols of that decade, such as milkshakes and jukeboxes. Many students were blown away by the hard work and dedication put into this float. After all, who doesn’t love a throwback to Grease? Charley Baker, the sophomore class president, stated, “It was a fun process, but in the beginning, it was difficult to incorporate everyone’s different ideas. By the end, everyone’s personal flares melted into a nice final product.”

A favorite amongst the teachers and faculty was the junior class’, whose theme was the rockin’ 80’s. Imagine Madonna, Michael Jackson, Pacman, and Mario, all iconic symbols of this decade, put together in one place. The Class of 2018’s float contained all of the major elements of the 80’s, and was praised for the intricate detail that went into the different parts of it. With the help of junior Sierra Schiavone, the class was able to add detail through airbrush, which made the float have more of an 80’s style to it. “The detail from the airbrush was a great addition to our float and really made ours stand out. We all worked together and accomplished so much, and I’m very proud of the outcome of it, ” said the junior class president, Madison Doring.

Each year, the senior class’ float is always one to watch and never disappoints. The seniors’ float centered on the psychedelic 60’s. This float featured three iconic landmarks of this decade, such as Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have A Dream” speech, the Beatles’ Abbey Road, and the first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong. “We tried to take an artistic approach with our float by using the different art styles of the 60s and portraying historical events with them. We used pop art, op art, and psychedelic art,” said Katie DiFrancesco, the senior class president. The sides of the float were also used to make it look like a “hippie” bus. DiFrancesco continued, saying “I think overall, it came out really good and I am proud of all the work that was put into it!”

In the end, the junior and senior classes tied for the best homecoming float, voted on by the faculty at SJV and students from St. Benedict School. As usual, Spirit Week was a success, and the floats did not disappoint. Thank you to everyone who dedicated their time to working on the floats this year!

By: William DeMuria and Kelly Garcia