Homecoming is back! This past October, CRLS held its first Homecoming dance in years. The event was originally intended to be in the Media Cafeteria for upperclassmen only. However, the student government expanded the dance to all grade levels and the venue switched between the Media and Main Cafeteria several times. Being an event that has long been called off, there was a general excitement around the dance. Yet, from the constant change in location to the lack of experience in planning a Homecoming dance, many logistical and planning issues were apparent to attendees. 

Given the inconsistent reportings and underwhelming venue, expectations were rather low. However, many students still enjoyed the night. Jeffery Gao ’24 told the Register Forum he “liked it a lot, [even though] a lot of people said it wasn’t gonna be good because it was in the Media Cafe.” Gao adds, “You just gotta make the best out of what you have and you’ll end up having a good time.” Veronica Tuceria ’24 felt similarly, she reported to the Register Forum, “Honestly it wasn’t too bad.” She felt there was “good energy in the room.” 

Despite these generally positive responses, there were several grievances that took away from the experience for many. Gao feels that the music could have been better. He says, “the music was alright, but there were a couple of moments where I wasn’t really feeling it. The DJs weren’t taking many requests and I was a little upset about that.” 

On top of the lackluster music, the venue garnered dissatisfaction. Nassim Ouassaidi ’25  expressed to the Register Forum, “If it was in the Main Cafe or in some other place it would have been better.” Tucceri also thinks the Main Cafeteria would have been the better choice, or “even the field house.” The Media Cafeteria was simply not large or attractive enough to convince students to attend. 

Tickets were also difficult to come by. In the week leading to the dance, a schoolwide announcement notified students that tickets would be available for sale during all lunches. However, many students struggled to find the ticket booth or were confused by the date change, forcing them to buy tickets at the venue for a heftier price. 

This leads to another complaint. Alejandro Rojas-Pratt ’23 told the Register Forum that, “they should have expanded [the dance]” both in turn out and venue. He says, “there weren’t that many people because they stopped letting people in.” School security closed the door on any student who had not pre-purchased a ticket at 8 PM. Given how late many extracurriculars can run and the difficulty of finding tickets at lunch, many students could not attend. Tucceri agrees, saying, “I didn’t really like how they had a time limit.” 

CRLS is out of practice when it comes to hosting events. The student government is struggling to balance safety, budget, and entertainment. However, this year’s Homecoming, despite its flaws, is a solid first step in the return of indoor venues. 

This article also appears in our November 2022 print edition.