Carlmont’s 2023 homecoming dance, unlike many other schools across the country, was held outdoors, and participants were encouraged to come in casual dress, sparking many different opinions from students.
The dance, held Friday, Oct. 6, was hosted in the Quad, and all students were encouraged to attend. However, as the spirit of Homecoming Week settles, students who did and did not attend are voicing their opinions about the dance.
Many students were delighted about having an outdoor, informal homecoming.
“Since it was outdoors, there was a lot more space and air, and it just felt cooler and fresh,” said sophomore Niyati Hazari. “There was good music and a good vibe, and a lot of people were dancing.”
On the other hand, some were disappointed that homecoming was both informal and held outdoors. Many students believed that a less casual indoor dance would have drawn more participants.
“I feel like a lot more people would have shown up if [homecoming] was more formal and was indoors,” said sophomore Lia Shami. “Either way, it was pretty fun.”
Senior Sofia Cueva is also part of the latter group and wishes Carlmont put on a more admirable event.
“I feel like there’s been an ongoing tradition where people don’t go to homecoming because Carlmont advertises it as not a formal dance,” Cueva said.
In addition to driving higher attendance, Cueva described her ideal homecoming experience: held in a lovely, indoor venue.
“The dance should be in an auditorium or a venue, so the sound quality is better. You should be able to wear things like dresses as opposed to having to bring a sweater or something long-sleeved since [the dance] is outside,” Cueva said. “It makes the event feel more like a school social as opposed to a dance.”
Activities Director Jim Kelly states that the homecoming dance has always been a casual event. Hosting it outdoors has only been a recent change.
“The first year we came out of the pandemic, we had to have [homecoming] outside. We got such good feedback that we decided to do it outside again last year. This year, we got positive feedback again and decided to keep it outside,” Kelly said.
In response to student feedback, Kelly made the 2023 homecoming dance outdoors again. The informal aspect, however, is based on a school policy that has been around for years.
“The school has always had a policy of only having two formal dances yearly. We always want to have at least one dance where it’s financially available to everyone,” Kelly said.
According to Kelly, there are no plans to change the location of homecoming for years to come. Either way, the 2023 Carlmont homecoming dance provided a thrilling closure to the lively spirit week students thoroughly enjoyed.
“I always tell my kids, ‘There are no guarantees if you haven’t learned that lesson from the pandemic, so do everything like it’s the last time it’s ever gonna happen,’” Kelly said.
