This past month South was able to hold its first unmasked student event, Homecoming! Many students were excited about the opportunity to dress up and socialize with friends and teachers, but one of the things that threw many people off was how the event was being held on the practice field this year. There was access to bathrooms at the inside of the building but no other type of entering was allowed. The dance started out with everyone mostly just standing around and talking and enjoying the yard games that were given as an option of entertainment, but then as the time passed people started to enjoy their time a little more. 

The main individual to interview to answer all the questions we have regarding Homecoming was Ms. Zobott. Zobott is a math teacher at South, and was in charge of planning and coordinating the Homecoming dance this year. Interviewing Zobott got some insight on the changes made compared to the Homecoming dance two years ago. 

 The main question that everyone had was why was the dance being held on the practice field of all places. Typically, Homecoming is held in a place that is enclosed. Zobott’s response was that it was all due to COVID safety. “We wanted to have the dance outside because enclosed spaces would require masks, and we wanted everyone to have fun and be mask-free,” she said. All teachers want for us students, and teachers as well, is to be protected as well as have as much fun as possible without needing to mask up as we do daily for school or regular everyday activities.

Ms. Zobott remarked that there wasn’t a theme put in place this year compared to two years ago when we had a 70’s theme for Homecoming. Her response was that they had made that change because no one knew how as a whole people would react, or want to dress since the event was outside this year. But she did state that the unofficial theme was labeled as “dance backyard bbq”. 

Ms. Zobott is the teacher in charge of Student Council, meaning she is also head of planning for the Sweetheart/Valentines Day Dance for this year. When asked what her hopes and goals were for the planning of Sweethearts, she said all she wants for everyone is to have fun while we are all protected during this pandemic.

Students were also interviewed to see how they felt about the way Homecoming was presented this year as the first unmasked student event and just their all-around feelings towards the dance. Most of the students had said that they wish the Homecoming dance was organized better and that the decorations had been more put together. Students had mixed views on the lack of a theme and the choice of coming formal or casual. Perspectives varied between being either accepting of it and thinking it was a good idea so that people could come how they felt comfortable, but some thought that it was another piece of bad organization because of the difference between some coming casual and others being formal.

Overall from students, there was a mix of feelings towards Homecoming and the dance as a whole, but mainly surrounding the absence of a theme. “I prefer a theme where everyone is more coordinated,” stated one junior who has been to dances at South. “I like the personal freedom that students got for homecoming,” said one sophomore experiencing a dance for the first time at South. 

Unfortunately due to weather, the dance had to be put to an end about an hour and a half in. The part that was most disappointing was how everyone had to leave right as everyone was starting to dance and have a feeling of things being brought back to a sense of normal. Throughout quarantine and everyone being isolated and having to find a new sense of normal, getting the chance to take part in something that was part of the old normal is something that many students and teachers both appreciated.

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Teachers Macy Ashby and Abby Gaul