PRO- Ava Kaspari

Dancing on the grass under the night sky while enjoying the cool breeze outside is a better and easier way to have the homecoming dance; it should be like this for all future school dances.

Dancing inside, people crammed together in the commons results in dance goers becoming a sweaty mess. It’s more bearable to dance outside because there’s fresh air and it’s easier to cool down. If students are hot during an indoor dance, they can’t simply step outside for some air, as they aren’t allowed back in if they leave. Therefore, having the dance outdoors is convenient. 

As long as the dance is early enough in the year, weather shouldn’t be a problem. There are enough tents to cover everyone at the dance. And even if it were to rain, the tents protect dancers. Not to mention, the tents kept everyone on the practice field area together so it would still feel similar to homecoming inside. 

With an outside dance, there is enough room to move around or stand by friends if dancing isn’t someone’s thing. When inside, it’s hard not to be surrounded by people at all times— which can get stressful at times. 

On the subject of the times, with the circumstances surrounding Covid, it was also much safer to host the dance outside. Some students may not have felt comfortable attending an indoor homecoming with everyone crammed together. Overall, the way it was handled was safe for students who attended the dance. 

Students were just as close to each other as they would have been if the dance was inside. Although, being outside allows for ventilating air. This makes the dance much more safe.

Students may be used to the traditional indoor homecoming in the commons, a dance outdoors was a much safer and more fun alternative. As a result of the pros to having homecoming outside, it should be considered for future school dances. 

CON- Lauren Devereux

Freezing and feet aching, the traditional and more common concept of hosting Homecoming inside is a better and more reliable option.

When planning outdoor events, such as a homecoming, plans are made in advance for preparations, vendors, decorations and the DJ. Weather plays a big factor; it’s uncontrollable and while it can be predicted, it’s never 100 percent accurate until the day of the event. If it were to start raining, dress shoes, long dresses and dress pants would possibly be ruined. Having an inside dance is the much more reliable option. Thankfully, it didn’t rain on the day of the dance, but this should be a factor when considering the dance’s location in the future. 

Another weather related factor that did impact students who attended the dance is temperature. If it is too cold or too hot, people tend to not enjoy themselves. Inside offers a temperature-controlled environment. By the end of the night, dance goers experienced quite a chill—to the point where no amount of dancing while crammed in a group could warm someone up. 

At a typical homecoming, dancing usually results in many students ditching their formal shoes for the sake of comfort. Since the dance was held on the practice field, the uneven terrain was grounds for tripping and unwanted embarrassment. The school did recommend changing shoes accordingly to better suit the environment, but wearing tennis shoes or flip flops makes a nice dress, suit or other dance attire look less formal. 

The practice field also didn’t lend to the most comfortable environment for those who needed a break. The commons offers plenty of space to dance and more space to sit down and relax. Outside on a field is not a place for a formal event like a dance. 

With current guidelines, the dance was set outside to prevent the spread of Covid—which is preferable to not having a dance at all. That said, people were just as close as they would have been inside as they were outside. 

While some people prefer changes and something new, making a dance outside is not the way to go for future school dances if the option to hold it in the commons is possible.