Homecoming week is jam-packed with spirit days and rallies leading up to Friday night’s football game, but the dance on Saturday night is the last hurrah of the homecoming stretch.

For many students, the homecoming dance is either an excuse to finally take their crush out on a date or to sit at home and eat ice cream from the bucket watching “Dirty Dancing” with a couple of close friends.  However, many people are not aware of the work ASB puts in to make sure the dance is on point.  

As ASB’s homecoming chair, senior Katie Beyer oversees and plans everything that has to do with the dance.  This year’s theme is the darker, more mysterious side of Alice in Wonderland, which Beyer is hoping will capture the magic of the Disney classic but keep it fun for every grade level. One of her main priorities is to get the majority of the student body to attend.

“We are really pushing to incorporate what people have requested over the years, including cooler lighting and decorations,” ASB homecoming chair Beyer said.  “We’ve put a lot of effort into making sure the dance will be enjoyable for everybody.”

Senior Lily Puente and her boyfriend Samuel Scibilia are attending the “Glam in Wonderland” dance, making it their fourth homecoming dance together.  As a homecoming veteran, Puente’s favorite thing about the dance is seeing everyone dressed up and having a great time.

“People shouldn’t be so cautious about having a date,” senior Puente said.  “You don’t need a date to have a great time, go with a group of friends out to dinner before the dance and then just let loose.”

The dance will start at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20 in the new gym.  Tickets cost $30 or $15 with an ASB sticker.  Stickers give students free admission into football games and discounts on dances and other activities and are still on sale for $55 from the ASB web store and finance office.

“Even if you don’t have a sticker, it is totally worth it to attend the dance because you only get four homecomings in your life,” Puente said.

Homecoming is an opportunity to make memories with friends, boyfriends or girlfriends, and it is a chance for seniors to make their final year of high school unforgettable.

“ASB puts in the hard work so that everyone else can enjoy themselves,” Beyer said.  “The dance is what you make it.”