The week leading up to Homecoming can be a great time to boost school spirit. Dress-up days, pep rallies and activities like the Mr. Lovejoy pageant all contribute to the fun of Homecoming week. Last year’s “Hoco Hunger Games” were a major part of the week, as participants or “tributes” created a spirited, competitive atmosphere.

However, this year’s festivities give “The Hunger Games” theme much more meaning: cans donated by students will help tributes to regain lost “lives” or flags. While this was also an aspect of previous Hoco Games, Student Council was not successful in the past (last year bringing in about 100 total cans) and now is offering service hours for students that participate in the food drive. This incentive and the can drive itself are both exceptional ideas that manage to help the community even while improving school spirit.

In the past, Homecoming Games were exciting for the couple of people that were involved from each grade level, but it often felt like the majority of students did not play any role in the daily games and were therefore disinterested. Because of a lack of advertising, few students knew to donate food. While this did not take away from the excitement that the games generated during Homecoming week, it was an opportunity missed for the community.

Students should take advantage of this year’s canned food drive because it helps local families in need. There’s no reason not to give a few cans when students can receive service hour credit for playing a simple part in the games. The only potential fault in the games would be a failure on Student Council’s part to publicize their plans as much and as early as possible. Hopefully students are aware of the incentives to bring canned food, and will be more motivated to donate than in years’ past.

On the whole, this is one of Student Council’s greatest ideas. In addition to pumping up the student body for Friday’s game, the Hoco Games are providing an opportunity for students to simultaneously serve their community. Whether students bring in 100 cans or 1,000 cans, the Games this year promise to be an exciting opportunity for all.