While blaring music, masquerade masks and cajun food don’t seem to have much in common, they certainly did during the Mardi Gras themed homecoming dance on Nov. 4. The dance was exciting for many as it was the first school dance of the year.
The dance was centered around the New Orleans holiday, Mardi Gras, and was planned by the students of SGA (Student Government Association). It was hosted on the Patriot-green with food and water being provided in front of the cafeteria. There were also photo opportunities in front of building five and on a large alligator near the dance floor.
“The most enjoyable part of the dance was spending time with my friends and taking pictures,” senior Megan Vazquez said.
The set up and planning of the dance was a thorough process. SGA first decided on a suitable theme and planned all the decorations. They were also able to gain the help of teacher sponsors Audra Greuel and Moran-Peebles, who funded and helped set up the dance..
“The process of setting up the dance was our SGA class divided into multiple teams to get everything accomplished promptly,” student body president Riley Dixon said. “All of SGA got to school at 8:00 am and began preparing everything from the gator float to the archway leading everyone into the dance. Each group was given a team leader as the direct point of contact and a specific list of what needed to be done and how it could be done. The setup was very organized, and all of SGA was able to leave by 1:00 pm.”
The food of the dance also contributed to the theme as they had served bayou chicken, muffuletta sliders, Cajun mac n’ cheese, fish and dip crackers, cheese and fruit and sweet beignets for dessert. Some other decorations were hanging masks, lights that synced to the music, projections and giant letters at the entrance. There was also a live band that had played jazz at the entrance to the dance.
“The decor and food added to the experience,” junior Leo McCauley said. “It made it very fun and really helped the theme stand out.”
Past dances included themes of “Fabulous Lake Brantley”, based on Las Vegas casinos, and the 70s, reflecting on the school’s previous years and founding. Even though there were more activities at these previous dances compared to this dance, it was still able to provide plenty of fun to the coming and going students.
“I have been to homecoming before,” McCauley said. “From what I’ve seen this year seemed to be the best.”
The dance ended at 11 pm and was able to provide an amazing time to all students. It enabled students to have an enjoyable and exciting time on Saturday evening, a time where they may not normally see their peers.
“It was nice experiencing it with friends,” Vazquez said. “We got to hang out and dance and overall have a great time.”
