More than 700 tickets have been sold for this Saturday’s outdoor, mask-optional, homecoming dance, which will be held on the turf this year.

For weeks, the Senior Class Council met to plan this homecoming’s games, music, and food. “We feel a lot of pressure to plan a more exciting dance because there hasn’t been one in two years, and people want a normal year,” said Veronica Goode, Class of 2022 Vice President.

Part of building an “exciting dance” was giving people the option to go mask-less, says Veronica. “I’m happy that the dance is outside this year so we can have no masks and more people allowed in,” she said.

Nate Mancusco says he supports the decision to hold the dance outside. “Having the dance outside makes sense. I think it will make the dance feel safer,” he said. “I’ll probably wear a mask but not during the entire dance. It is what it is, and it will be fun regardless.”

For the class of 2025, this will be the first experience of a high school dance, but freshman Jordyn Bennett says that this dance is better than none. “I think having homecoming outside is not ideal, but it’s better than having no dance at all,” she said. “I’m expecting fewer people to come because of Covid but also because of the dance being outside. A lot of my friends said that they weren’t going to attend.”

But Jordyn says that she may or may not wear a mask. “I think whether or not I wear a mask depends on how many people are around,” she said. “I’ll wear one to the dance and take it off if I’m comfortable.”

Junior Ashley Skinker-Byrd says the outdoor location doesn’t make up for the close-contact nature of dances. “I get why they’re letting us [not wear masks], but people are still going to be close,” she said.

After a year without the dance, senior Kayla Hunter says she wants to make the most out of her last homecoming. “I’m going to try to enjoy the dance as much as possible because it’s my senior year,” she said. “Previous years, getting dressed, taking pictures, and seeing friends made the dance more enjoyable, and I’ll still be able to do that this year.”