Homecoming 2022 Recap

In addition to numerous other in-person events, Homecoming has become something that OHS students look forward to for socializing with their peers. It serves as a great opportunity for OHSers to have fun before their Thanksgiving break; students flew in from a broad spectrum of locations to meet up for fun events and dances. Last year, Homecoming was hosted in Monterey, California due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, the 2022 OHS Homecoming has returned to Boston, Massachusetts—as it normally is! This has encouraged students to attend Splash, a local event hosted by MIT students. Events sponsored by OHS staff were held between November 18 and November 19, whereas Splash classes lasted from November 19 to November 20. 

Outside the Royal Sonesta Hotel

Thursday

Before attending events sponsored by OHS, students had a chance to see familiar faces at the Cheesecake Factory Thursday evening. OHS students and their families could hang out while enjoying dinner. Later, students headed to the Royal Sonesta Hotel—the main hub for the weekend—for registration. Anyone who contributed to the Annual Fund could also pick up their spirit scarf at registration. Throughout the weekend, students could participate in a scavenger hunt. Teams completed the scavenger hunt by staying in boundaries and taking photos with surrounding locations and staff/students. Any teams that successfully completed the scavenger hunt by 6:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, November 19 had their names entered into a prize lottery!

Friday

To start the weekend, students met in the morning at the Royal Sonesta Hotel for Kick-Off. They were separated into groups based on grade level and played icebreakers. For example, students tossed a ball around and answered the question their thumb landed on. Kick-Off ended with the Spirit Week Assembly, which students from both in-person and online could attend! Spirit Week winners were announced, and students participated in an OHS-related Kahoot. Synchronously, the parents had icebreakers and were later broken up into activities based on the grade level of their children.

Students who registered for the MIT Nuclear Reactor Tour were able to attend a tour, where they listened to a lecture. Back at the hotel, activities such as the Languages Cafe and the board game room were open for students to bond with their peers. Additionally, a basketball tournament was held at an athletics club—winners were announced later that evening. Many students opted to visit the Museum of Science, where they could view various exhibits.

In the afternoon, club interactive demos were held. Clubs, including the Advanced Physics Club, Robotics Club, Rubik’s Cube Club, and Russian Literature Club, provided a glimpse of what their clubs consisted of. This meant giving presentations that introduced their clubs, showing demonstrations of solving Rubik’s cubes, acting out readings of Russian literature, and answering questions.

During the Welcome Reception later that evening, everyone who was involved in planning received a well-deserved thank you! Winners of the basketball tournament were officially announced as well, and they received OHS Homecoming 2022 shirts. As a way to end the eventful day, many students attended the Midnights Music Party, which allowed them to bond over the new Taylor Swift album while enjoying songs.

Saturday

On Saturday, seniors had to wake up early—6:30 a.m.—to take part in their Senior Sunrise held on the river side of the hotel. Students who didn’t sign up for Splash had icebreakers in the morning, as well as another chance to visit the Museum of Science. The traditional Flag Football game took place at Tim Toomey Park!

Meanwhile, students who went to Splash classes had an opportunity to learn in classes taught by MIT students. Hundreds of students went to Splash in total, many of which were OHS students. Depending on what classes they signed up for, classes could range from philosophy, neuroscience, and even the game Among Us. During the Splash lunch period, some students met up for lunch or participated in activities held in the main lobby. These activities included card games, reading, learning how to spin socks, making flower crowns, etc. Although students had great fun at their Splash classes, they had to return earlier to the Royal Sonesta Hotel so that they could get ready for the dance.

Starting at 7:00 p.m., students could take pre-dance photos with their friends. The dance started at 7:30 p.m., and students were able to go on the dance floor with a live DJ! Other students played board games in the game room, or took pictures at the photo booth. At the same time, the parents had a dinner of their own. 

While many students had to leave briefly after, the dance was evidently a great way to end the Homecoming weekend. Students had a blast, and made countless valuable memories. According to Brendan (’26) and Chloé (’26), the most significant part of Homecoming is the connections made. When asked about the best part of Homecoming, Chloé expresses, “In my opinion, the best part of Homecoming was meeting old friends and having an easier time making new ones when you can hear their tone of voice and see their expressions. Nobody is left on ‘read’ when we’re all in-person.” As Brendan puts it, “Seeing fellow classmates and friends, some for the first time, was exhilarating and exciting! I enjoyed seeing everyone’s smiling faces, the beautiful city, and even the surprise that people aren’t just floating heads in rectangles!” At the end of the weekend, students couldn’t help but express their excitement for the idea of meeting each other in person again at Pixel Fest!