This year, the hallway decoration contest will be replaced with wooden panel decoration. The construction at DGS this summer has caused the school to change some traditions, one of these being club hallway decorating.

The panels were hung on Sept. 17, 2019 and Sept. 18, 2019 by members of stage crew. The panels will be judged by the homecoming committee, and the winners will be announced at the homecoming assembly. The top three panels will receive a monetary prize reward.

In years prior DGS clubs have worked to decorate a section of a hallway during spirit week to match the homecoming theme. The hallways were judged, and the winning club received a prize. Because of construction, the homecoming hallways are being switched to a wooden panel decorating competition.

Student Activities Director Jennifer Martinez discussed the decision to have the wooden walkway decoration.

“It was a lot of conversations with a lot of amazing colleagues around Downers Grove South to put the wooden walkways together. [We wanted to] include everybody so we could have everyone just show their DGS pride and promote their club or sport so we can be connected to our school,” Martinez said.

Senior Kennedy Warden worked on a panel for the girls cross country team and thinks the panels bring a sense of community to the school.

“I think it’ll be cool because more of the school will get to put more of their work into it, aside from just a few clubs. I think it’s cool that everyone gets to put a part in it,” Warden said.

Panels have been made by many of the clubs and sports teams at DGS. Senior Joseph Hardy worked on the panels for Friendship Club and Go Green Club.

“I think it’s a good way to promote the clubs and everything so people get to know what they’re about. Last year, and the years before they just decorated the hallway anyway they wanted to, and you didn’t really know which club was which hallway or what they’re about,” Hardy said.

Martinez hopes the change will allow more people to be able to participate in the creative process.

“I think what’s different is normally we have one afternoon of doing hallway decorating, and this year I tried to give everyone a three-week window. That way everyone can paint on their own according to their own schedule, so they can figure out designs and paint and all that stuff,” Martinez said.

The decorated wooden panels will hang in the first floor A hallway for the next two years during construction, as opposed to the one week the hallway decorations stayed up.

Stage crew manager Hunter Evans worked to paint the background and the quote for the Leave Your Mark on DGS event. Evans and stage crew also worked to cut the panels and supply the materials.

“I have to give a very big shout to Mr. Hunter Williams Evans because he helped me organize. And stage crew, they cut all the wooden panels, they primed them and he put all supplied in the buckets for everyone to use,” Martinez said.

Martinez also noted that art teacher Kathy Miles and several of her students worked to paint the trees for Leave Your Mark at DGS.

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