As October 15 neared, Cherokee’s annual Homecoming dance was becoming a more prominent topic of conversation. Everyone was excitedly discussing the outfits and plans they made for the night. However, the dance wasn’t exactly what was expected. Last year, it was held outside in the courtyard. While it may have been slightly chilly, with uneven footing, it wasn’t cramped or suffocatingly hot. The dance was held in the courtyard primarily because of still-lasting COVID protocols. This year, it was decided the dance would go back to where it had been held in many years previous: the North Café.  This decision caused a bit of an argument, with some people glad it was back inside and some people wishing it was still in the courtyard. 

Students began arriving at 7:00 pm, expecting a long night of dancing. At the beginning, there weren’t a lot of people on the dance floor, and pretzels and water were plentiful. However, the dance soon began to fill up, and both the front and back of the North Café were packed. The temperature increased impressively in only an hour or two, by the sheer mass of people dancing together. Most jackets were discarded, and the outside section had to be opened so that people could cool down. Halfway through the night, the pretzels were already gone. Soon enough, while the water stations still had water, the cups ran out, so there was no way to access it. People were leaving in groups much earlier than expected. Although some people enjoyed themselves and are looking forward to next time, many left the event disappointed and uninterested in a future homecoming.