Colorful lights flashed, and loud chattering came from inside Homestead cafeteria. Students lined up, starting the cold wait to get inside. As they waited to check in, girls huddled together like penguins seeking warmth.
Once venturing inside, beautiful murals of Disney characters were illustrated across the large glass windows of the cafeteria. A strobe light sat in the center of the room, creating rays of colorful light.
Students crowded around the DJ’s stage against the wall across from the windows. Students jumped and sang to the music, letting the magical feel of Homecoming take over.
High school homecoming is a tradition celebrated in many schools across the United States. Typically in which students, alumni and the school community come together to celebrate school spirit. Dressing up for homecoming encourages students to take a break from their normal routines, creating a sense of excitement and camaraderie.
Senior Mickey Vandermeuse was a part of Promotions, a group that assisted with planning and setting up homecoming. The theme for homecoming this year was Disney, encouraging students to embrace their inner child and dress like their favorite Disney characters.
When asked about how this year’s theme, Vandermeuse stated, “When the planning began to start for homecoming, the school gave the council three options of themes which they could vote on; they were: Sixties Diner, Seventies or Disney.
When it came down to voting, Disney won by a landslide.
Many students expressed their excitement for the theme this year, like Jordyn Willis, a senior who attended the dance as the character Belle from Beauty and the Beast.
Willis was not the only one who dressed up, but so did a lot of the senior girls attending homecoming this year.
Homecoming is a night to remember, full of delicious food and cute pictures with friends. Some of the common pre-homecoming activities include getting ready with friends, going to dinner with friends or a date, taking pictures, and of course going to the dance.
For Willis, she planned on “going first to get ready with my friends, then taking pictures, going to dinner, going to the dance, then going back to my friend’s house.”
For many students, this was the order of events. Most students said they were planning on either taking pictures or going to dinner, the most commonly followed traditions for students at Homestead.
When Willis was asked how long she normally stayed at the dance, she stated she stayed normally “around an hour.”
Some students not attending homecoming this year like Heléna Szpot, junior, decided against the choice of going to homecoming. As did a few other students this year, many due to prior committments.
Szpot stated, “I didn’t go to homecoming this year because my friends decided against it and didn’t want to.” She added she just thought it was going to be boring. But Szpot said she would have gone if her friends were to go.
This year’s homecoming was full of dancing and singing where students all crowded tightly on the dance floor, forgetting about school and just letting loose with their friends.
An energetic atmosphere surrounded the cafeteria, creating a space full of laughter in fun for all students to enjoy.
For many seniors this year, homecoming was special due to it being their last. They made sure to spend time with their friends and soak in the moment.
