On Friday, Oct. 20, Archie Williams hosted its first official dance of the 2023-2024 school year, the Homecoming Dance. The “Just Dance”-themed event took place from 7-10:00 p.m. in the school’s Main Gym and Small Gym. ASB assigned each grade a different color to wear, with freshmen in orange, sophomores in green, juniors in blue, and seniors in pink.

Similarly formatted to last year’s Homecoming, the small gym was utilized as an activity and snack area, while the main gym had a DJ and dance floor. Two small outdoor areas were designated for students to cool off and take a break from the indoor festivities.

To ensure the safety of attendees, administrators randomly selected students to be breathalyzed upon entering the gym. Along with supervision from administrators, police officers, private security, and staff chaperones, leadership students trained as “Safe Leaders” had the task of responding to any student in distress. The Safe Leaders wore glowing hearts around their necks, allowing for anyone in an uncomfortable situation to spot them easily.

Archie Williams senior and PR member Georgia Debok helped coordinate the Homecoming Dance. As a Safe Leader, Georgia also helped oversee the dance.

“[PR] trained people to be safe leaders. [This means] if someone is in trouble, instead of going to an adult first, you [can] come to us and we can help you out. We will bring you outside if we think you’re having a rough time,” Georgia said.

Georgia compared this year’s Homecoming Dance with last year’s, ultimately believing it to have improved.

“[The dance] is so much better than last year. It’s a little more wild and I think the fashion is just a little better. I think the spirit is there,” Georgia said.

In contrast to Georgia, sophomore Liam Thrush thought this year’s dance was the same as last year’s, but enjoyed it nonetheless.

“[The Homecoming Dance] was pretty much the same. You kind of get into a mosh pit with all your friends, and it’s really fun,” Liam said. “I didn’t really check out the snacks, but I noticed that they had a lot more games this year along with a really cool photo area.” 

Attendees appreciated the designated outdoor area, as it provided an area to rest and get a drink of water. Freshman Liam Baradaron attended his first Homecoming Dance this year.

 “I thought the mosh pit was really fun, and I think the rest area outside was really helpful when you just needed a break and a breath of fresh air,” Liam said.

The 2023 Homecoming Dance served as a much anticipated conclusion to the colorful Homecoming spirit week. Although students had different experiences at the dance, Homecoming sets a precursor for future school events, and gives new students an idea of what to expect at their next dance this school year, Winter Formal.