Santiago’s 2018 homecoming dance took place on September 15th, 2018. It was deemed “Sharks in Neverland”, and all of the spirit days, the performances, and the decorations and marketing of the dance were themed after the animated movie Peter Pan (1953). The dance included a DJ, a video game truck, karaoke, and even free ice cream!

The vibes that reverberated around the gym during previous homecoming dances seemed to be lacking this time around, and many traced their displeasure back to the music choices. A major consensus of dissatisfaction with the DJ seemed to be decided upon by the student body. The songs that were played by the DJ did not reflect the preferences of the majority of the attending student body, so many students were discontented. They largely found this missing element to tarnish their entire experience.

As the dance unfolded, it became very crowded, especially inside the gym, where the temperature seemed to exponentially increase as one got further enveloped in the mass of people dancing. Some students did not appreciate the chaperones acting as “helicopters” while they were dancing; however, some did not find it unnecessary to chastise inappropriate behavior, which was prevalent on the dance floor. Both conflicting opinions were expressed on social media, where they each garnered support.

However, between taking cute photo booth pictures with dates or friends and enjoying free ice cream while listening to karaoke, many were able to find a haven during the night if they did not find pleasure in loud music and sexual dancing. To many, the night felt like it would never end, and the people would never grow up.