On Friday, Sept. 30, WA Student Council (STUCO) hosted the first Homecoming dance in ten years. The dance was a major success, and it brought the student body together in a way we have not experienced since the pandemic.

Starting at 7 p.m., students were able to enter the dance through two different locations, one of which was through the senior lobby, and the other through the entrance to the cafeteria courtyard. Having two entrances provided students with easy and accessible ways to get in, but also minimized the length of the line if there was only one entrance.

Inside, the cafeteria was impressively decorated for the dance and was disco-themed. There was a disco ball in the center of the dance floor, and stars hung down from the ceiling. This set up provided a cool atmosphere for the students in attendance throughout the night.

At first, I was concerned if the cafeteria would be spacious enough for the hundreds of students in attendance, but it proved to be more than enough space for everyone dancing. 

In addition to the cafeteria, the cafeteria’s courtyard was another location for us to spend time during the dance. It was prepared very nicely, with a fire burning in the middle and chairs circling around the outside, providing us the opportunity to take a break from the dance inside.

Throughout the night, the cafeteria was the place to be, with a great DJ playing fun party songs that everyone knew. This kept many students dancing together in front of the DJ for the entire time, making for an exciting high school experience. The dance was exhilarating, as we partied on the dance floor until it ended at 10 p.m.

Overall, Homecoming was a great sign of normalcy after the pandemic plagued much of the high school experience for juniors and seniors. We have missed out on many opportunities like this due to health restrictions, but this dance showed us a glimpse of what high school should really look like.

The only downside to the dance was the process in which selling tickets was carried out, as students were sent into a hectic free-for-all once tickets were made available to the entire student body. Instead, juniors and seniors should have been able to buy tickets first, due to them being the ones who missed out on so much during high school. It was unfair for upperclassmen to miss out on buying tickets because a freshman or sophomore beat them to it.

That being said, Homecoming was a great event. STUCO should definitely make Homecoming an annual dance going forward, as it helps to get students excited, boosts morale for all four grades, and builds a fun culture amongst the students.