School dances are something that everyone looks forward to when they are younger, but the Mount Vernon homecoming dances don’t compare to the ones we visualize and ponder about over and over. We have this whole week of celebrating homecoming with the parade, king and queen ceremony, powderpuff, pep rally, alumni assembly, and football game, but when the dance comes around it doesn’t match the level of excitement as the others do. While we appreciate everything that the student council does, the homecoming dance should be more than a few decorations, water, and a phone with a playlist. 

First things first, we should get a snack and drink bar that could include some punch and cookies instead of just a drinking fountain. After dancing for a long time, burning calories and using a lot of energy, some refreshments would really come in handy to help us bust out some more moves. 

Better music would also enhance the experience. For instance, we could get a live band to play for a few hours, then after that we can play the songs that all of the students have picked out. Or we could get a DJ for a few hours, or the whole night and people can request songs then. Explicit music should also be allowed. Only a few of them have more than a couple bad words that are already a part of most teenagers’ vocabulary. 

Better decorations are necessary to make the school building feel special. A few streamers and balloons aren’t cutting it. We could possibly get some string lights hung all around the commons, school colored fabric draped on the walls, and a candle lit walkway coming into the school with people taking the tickets outside. If decorations are too difficult, then we could change the location to make the dance not feel like another day at school. Such as, The First Street Community Building, the LBC, or if it is nice enough, we could have it outside. The First Street Community Building would be a perfect place to have a throwback theme dance. Since Homecoming is about celebrating the school and recognizing former alumni, what better place to have a homecoming dance than at an old Mount Vernon school. 

Finally, to jazz up the dance and make it more enjoyable for everyone we should add some party games and competitions. Some people don’t like to dance and stand around, so we could include a group, couple, or individual dance off, and a few board or card games. We may not even need games because the snack and drink bar could fix that problem, but activities are a way that will get everyone involved at a dance. 

Prom is the bigger school dance that more money and effort is put into, but since the homecoming dance has more of a meaning to it and the whole high school gets to partake, we should put a little bit more effort into making it a special night. It doesn’t have to be as big as prom, just a bit more exciting. A budget may play a key role in not having refreshments, better music, and better decorations, but if needed, students would probably spend a few more dollars to have a better experience at homecoming. The only homecoming activities that they are having this year is a COVID-19 safe coronation and a homecoming movie/ hypnotist night. To sum it all up, it is time to make a more enjoyable change so students and future Mount Vernon Mustangs can have the best homecoming experiences.