Makeup. Dresses. Suits. Jewelry. Earrings. With the clock ticking, the homecoming dance slowly approached. Panic started to set in as students rambled through their closets to find a suitable outfit; last-minute preparations were rushed and chaos ensued while parents and friends stood in the doorway, yelling at you to hurry up.
It’s finally time! Excitement filled the air as students walked in from the main entrance of the building, greeted by the familiar faces of teachers. To the immediate right of the sign-in table, a long (and by long, I mean longgggg) line of students came into view. Oh, and here it is—the iconic photo booth, which Ms. Myers now manages. While some posed for a cute friend group photo, showing off their glamorous dresses and suits, others displayed their lovey-dovey relationships right in front of the camera. The what-used-to-be plain gym doors were now embellished with gold and black posters that said “Stage Door Entrance” and a large VIP banner was hung across the wall with golden stars dangling down from it. Ironically, to no surprise, the ubiquitous “sanitizing stations” are still placed on either side of the gym doors, as if students actually make use of it. Setting that aside, as students go further down, they stood face-to-face with a single, red strip of paper (well…supposedly a red carpet) that, still, does not cover the gray tiles underneath (good try though).
Boom, boom, dun, dun… Just as students entered the dance, their ears were met with piercing, loud music. Barbie L., Class of 2025 commented that “the music was too loud,” something I’m sure many could agree with. As always, the DJ sat in his designated spot—the tiny right corner of the gym—surrounded by several huge speakers, with strobe lights that are most likely passed down from the other dances, decorating his little homemade studio. Regardless of the flashing lights, students jumped up and down, waving their hands from side to side blindly. As teachers calmly strolled around the students in boredom, the students just seemed to get more hyped as the dance went on, tirelessly hopping across the gym floor and stepping on toes to no avail.
“Pop!” and another balloon lost its life bursting into pieces. This brings us to the balloon arch, the photogenic spot for Instagram posts, where red, silver, and black balloons were precisely placed to reveal the intricate design of this arch. On a side note, accurate calculations were definitely implemented so that it would not collapse, which must have required some brainy computations. In the background, golden letters of “Hollywood” and sparkling stars were pasted onto the plain red walls, seemingly supposed to represent the “Hollywood theme” of this dance and set up a contrast with the colors red, silver, and black.
Finally, in the back of the gym was, usually, the ultimate favorite of students—food! Fruit bowls, cheese platters, and popcorn bags were just some among many others. Of course, a great dance would not be complete without seats and there they were. Three long tables (made up of 3 individual small tables joined together), covered in black tablecloths, were filled up with students enjoying the delicious food that was offered.
Lights, music, food…a perfect combination. Just as everything seemed to be so enjoyable and perfect, time slowly crept its way towards the end of the dance. Then, darkness was outshined by the bright gym lights on the ceiling, marking the end of the dance. Three hours have never passed so fast. Yet, it all still seems like a dream, but it was all over now. A senior in BISV sums up the dance and shares her thoughts regarding this: “This is my last homecoming at BISV, and I definitely enjoyed the moment. The songs this year were great, and I had a lot of fun with my friends. My favorite part was at the end when they played ‘Something Just Like This,’ and a lot of people held up their phone flashlights. I thought it was a really nice close to the night.”
Overall, the homecoming dance was both an excellent way for students to let out their stress and a great opportunity for students to “Spend time with [their] friends,” as Caroline C. (‘25) stated.
Hopefully, after seeing this, you will come to join us and show off your stunning outfit at the next dance (winter formal, sometime in Jan)! See you there 🙂 Bet.
