Dancing to horrible music in the well-lit gym: that’s how juniors Kelley McGill and Erin Cullinan remember their Homecoming experience from last year.
SAC moderator and history teacher Rodney Johnson called this year’s homecoming changes “nothing drastic.”
But a new DJ, Joe Zahn, who also appeared at the Back to School Dance, will be playing at Homecoming, a move Johnson is hoping will please students. For sophomore Claire Hofmann she was really pleased with Zahn at the Back to School Dance. “He was really good and funny and I liked all the songs he played,” Hofmann said.
Johnson hopes that the students will respond positively to the change like Hofmann. “They liked the DJ at the Back to School Dance, so they should be happy,” Johnson said.
Besides the music, Zahn is also bringing different strobe lights to transform the gymnasium into a dance environment.
Last year, students were upset by the lights being left on and the cost of tickets. The SAC and Dean of Students Thomas Vierheller are working to find a plausible solution to make the students happy, but still keep them safe.
“We have an absolute responsibility to keep not only our students, but our guests safe too,” Vierheller said. The lights will be on enough so that the chaperones are able to see everything clearly.
“Students also don’t want it to look like a gym,” Vierheller said. One idea is to place drapes over the lights so that both the students and the chaperones can agree on the disagreement concerning the lights.
As for the cost, the tickets will remain $20 each, which is the same price as it has been for the last four years. Last year, the money made from Homecoming helped to fund the new bleachers and the new scoreboard in the gym. The proceeds also fund the favors which cost $3,500 last year.
After the dance, SAC members will hand out Mardi Gras-themed glass cups, this year’s Homecoming favor. According Johnson, around 800 people are expected to attend, and twelve adults will chaperone the event.
“I had a lot of fun last year because I went with a group of friends, and I’m looking forward to going this year,” senior Shannon Lynch said.
Graziano can be reached for comment at [email protected].