The air around the Santa Anita Clubhouse was buzzing with excitement as over 1,000 students gathered to enter the venue of this year’s Homecoming Dance on the night of Oct. 12. With the theme of the dance being centered around “Love Like The Movies,” students arrived in style for this year’s highly anticipated Homecoming Dance. This year’s Homecoming had students putting lots of effort into their outfit.
“I really put a lot more effort into my outfit this year,” said junior Trenton Lai. “I went out of my way to find matching white suits for my friend and I to show up in, so we could support my other friend who finally got a date.”
The doors opened a little after the intended start time of 7:30 p.m., but most people got in before 8 p.m. after passing through the security checkpoint. After entering, guests could jump right into the activities that this year’s dance had to offer. Compared to last year, this year had more activities for people who didn’t necessarily want to dance. Not only were there multiple photo booths, a caricature station, and a foosball table, but also karaoke and a pool table for guests to enjoy.
The spacious venue was the largest location of the past few years. Students could sit on the open-air balcony and chat, or they could participate in the entertainment provided by the venue.
“I thought Homecoming was as lavish as the Gatsby Parties,” said senior Luke Cammano.
“This year was much more enjoyable. When I needed a break from the dance, there were actual activities to do with my friends, and it was a lot more interactive,” said junior Nathaneal Acker.
However, the music for the main dance was not received nearly as well. The main criticism came from the obscurity of some of the music, leaving some guests dissatisfied.
“While I thought that this year’s Homecoming was better overall than last years, the song choices weren’t great,” said senior Ryan Li. “He didn’t really play the songs we wanted; most of it was unknown stuff.”
Thankfully, the music choice didn’t stop students from enjoying the dance. Students moshed all night, jumping up and down to the music. Refreshments were all self-serve, with pink lemonade, water, and fruit punch being provided, along with cookies and brownies for hungry dancers or students who just wanted a sweet treat.
But overall, Homecoming was another way to celebrate memories with friends. Students enjoyed the dance; the sounds of laughter and talking were undeniably audible all over the venue. As the clock neared 11 p.m., the DJ played the last song and guests gathered outside to either go back home or grab something to eat after the dance, with sentiment towards the dance being positive overall.
Photo courtesy of LYANN CHU, KAARTHIGA SELVAKKUMARAN, KATHERINE NGUYEN
