On the evening of Oct. 1, the Skirball Cultural Center became the site of a one-of-a-kind celebration as an astounding 1,100 Arcadia High School (AHS) students flocked to the Los Angeles museum for this year’s Homecoming dance. At the event, students enjoyed a lively dance floor, an array of food and drinks, as well as several other activities, including games and photo opportunities.

The theme for AHS’ 2022 Homecoming was “Everlasting.” This theme was well-suited for the Skirball Cultural Museum, a location that impressed many of the guests. The modern two-story venue had stylish furniture, a beautiful lily pond, and perhaps best of all, clean restrooms. Dance-goers dressed for the theme with their semi-formal attire, as many students opted for elegant dresses and suits. 

“I wore a royal blue baby-doll dress with black heels for Homecoming,” said sophomore Ariana Hernandez. “To accessorize, I wore a silver opal necklace. I curled my hair and did natural makeup to complete my look.”

Doors opened for the dance at 7 p.m. Before entering the museum, students had to pass a quick security checkpoint to ensure safety for all the staff and guests. Once in the venue, guests could check in their belongings and had immediate access to all of the night’s amenities.

Light hors d’oeuvres and beverages were offered for all attending. As “hand pass items”, students were served hot dogs in a blanket, vegetable spring rolls, mini cheese pizzas, and mini chicken brochettes. In addition, crudite with accompanying dips, fresh fruit, and other small desserts were stationed at tables for students to serve themselves. Staff members provided soda, water, lemonade, and Shirley Temples (grenadine with Sprite) as beverages.

Featured in an outside area of the Skirball were a foosball table and two ping-pong tables, at which people enjoyed some friendly competition. In another section of the museum, there was also a double-shot basketball station for attendees to play at.

“The game tables were a nice addition to Homecoming,” said senior David Mendoza. “They gave us something fun to do as an outlet to rest. Being in the mosh pit took up quite a bit of energy.”

As means of memorabilia, a photobooth and caricaturist were also available. Although the lines were long, students took pictures or were drawn in wacky illustrations. Guests found delight in posing with their friends for a fun photo to take home.

Many students also took advantage of the upbeat dance floor, complete with colorful lights and blasting music. A D.J. played a mix of various songs as attendees sang, danced, jumped, and even crowd surfed to the music. Both nostalgic and newer tunes were played, including rap, pop, Latin music, and other hits. The song to conclude the night was the beloved “Love Story” by singer Taylor Swift, during which the crowd sang their hearts out. 

Homecoming royalty was announced at the dance floor as well. Students cleared the floor as the names of each member were called: Jason Xu as Freshman Prince, Kaeden de Leon as Freshman Princess, Rijul Garg as Sophomore Prince, Ashley Savage as Sophomore Princess, Madeline Lim as Junior Princess, Sydney Yee as Senior Princess, Tyler Yu as Homecoming King, and Elizabeth Savage as Homecoming Queen. The royalty was cheered on as they danced together in front of the crowd. Their peers were eventually called to join in.

Perhaps what made Homecoming most enjoyable was cherishing the moment with friends. Sounds of laughing, singing, and pure happiness completed the vibrant ambiance of the dance.

“Homecoming was a fun experience, especially at such a nice venue like the Skirball. Even with all the activities, my favorite part was still spending time with all my friends. I was very tired afterwards and definitely got great sleep that night,” said sophomore Aiden To.

As the music came to a stop and the clock neared midnight, staff helped escort students to exit at the front of the museum. Guests gathered their belongings and said their goodbyes as they piled into cars to be taken home. The dance may have ended at 11 p.m., but the memories AHS students made at Homecoming were “Everlasting.”

Photo by Stephanie Wang