The Paw Print

By Alexa Gola, Associate News & Features Editor

On Sept. 14, students of all grades packed into the first floor atrium for the annual homecoming dance. Some students wore decorative masks to match the masquerade theme, while others stuck to traditional semi-formal attire for the occasion. The atrium itself was adorned with long strips of fabric, giving it the vague appearance of a tent. Mask-covered tables, banners and a photo backdrop also bordered the festivities. 

In the months leading up to the dance, Student Government conducted an Instagram poll to determine the theme, conducted monthly meetings to organize logistics, hired a professional decorator and coordinated concessions. Sophomore Rep. Prisara Chumsangsri thinks the event is particularly important because “it is our biggest and it’s the start of a new year, so it might be the first event for freshmen, or the last for seniors!”

Overall, Student Government’s work seems to have paid off. One anonymous junior said that “the event as a whole was pretty enjoyable,” and particularly liked the DJ’s choice of music. Another agreed, saying, “My favorite part of the dance is when songs would play that everyone knew, so everyone would dance and sing along to the music very loudly.” Steph Salajean ‘26 also enjoyed “screaming and jumping around with friends.”

Though responses to the masquerade theme were mixed, Salajean found it exciting. She said, “I liked the masquerade theme because it’s pretty versatile. You can wear almost anything and it fits the theme. Plus, it looked cool in the pictures!” A third anonymous junior agreed, saying that she thought the moonlit masquerade was “definitely the most creative and interesting theme in a long time. It really made this dance stand out.”

A fourth anonymous member of the student body said that she “liked the masquerade theme” and “the decorations that went with it,” but also expressed concern about the difficulty of finding thematic clothing.

Another common concern among interviewed students was the lack of fresh air. One junior said that she “enjoyed the dance overall, [but] I disliked how hot it was. People were trying to set up fans in the cafeteria, but there were few of them and it felt ill prepared.” Another added that she “liked that they opened up the second floor so people had a place to go if they needed a moment to breathe,” but wished “that they would go further with this and create a space outside, in the back of the school, to give people a space to cool off.” 

Chumsangsri would like to remind students that if they “have any suggestions, you can always tell a StudGov member.” Concerns aside, she hopes “students enjoyed their hoco and were able to have a blast with their friends creating everlasting memories!” Whether students took the dance as an opportunity to hang out with friends or enjoy anonymity beneath a glittering mask, the moonlit masquerade was a night to remember.