Traditional high school homecomings usually involve a crowded gym full of students all dancing with not a care in the world; however, this year, Carterville had to take a new approach to the homecoming festivities. For upperclassmen at CHS, homecoming is a tradition that marks the beginning of another school year. A celebration full of football, dancing, and socializing. For freshman students, homecoming can be a whole new and exciting experience.

 Last year, Carterville High School was locked down due to Covid-19 which meant less socializing, therefore, no homecoming. This meant that new students would not be able to get their freshman homecoming like all the previous years had. Amelia Harness (10) says, “I was definitely bummed. The dance is a staple piece to high school” when discussing not being able to have a traditional homecoming last year.

This year, Carterville High School was thankfully able to come up with a new Covid safe approach for the dance. While this year’s dance looked very different from years past, trading a gym for a parking lot, the overall atmosphere gave students a homecoming experience to remember. Rain and heat are often drawbacks for outdoor events. Fortunately, the weather on the day of the dance was perfect and added to the atmosphere. Annelise Brantley (10) says,“ This year’s dance surpassed my expectations. Everyone seemed to have such a great time!”

Even though this year’s homecoming dance looked different from others and held a risk for possible issues such as inclement weather and social distancing, CHS was still able to create an amazing experience for their students. One that was much better than the alternative, missing another pivotal part of high school.