Two Perspectives

                On September 29^th, I attended Kennedy’s homecoming with a group of friends, and last night I attended Linn-Mar’s homecoming dance with one of my friends from work. There were pros and cons to both events, and things that could be added that would only benefit everyone’s experience.

            The Monday after Kennedy’s homecoming was truly what the Monday after prom felt like. I was completely dead, probably a little behind in homework, and all of my teachers were too excited to get into “new and exciting material!” The one thing that made Kennedy’s homecoming memorable was dinner. Our group ate at Zio Johno’s and it was delicious. The rest of my group was frustrated that it took a little longer than ideal, but I actually enjoyed it because who really wants to be at the dance right at 7:30 and stay for three and a half hours until the end? I liked being “fashionably late.” If you ever get the chance to go to Zio Johno’s I would recommend the tortellini. You get a side salad and bread with it all for under $10. If I had to rate the dance, it would be average. Because grinding wasn’t allowed and people were getting kicked out, people were just standing around. I actually found it amusing because people didn’t know how to dance; they were completely lost without grinding. Also, the music choices were lame and it was not loud enough. Every other song was rap music and there was little variety. What it made really fun was the fact that I knew a lot of people and I reconnected with friends I had not seen in a while.

            Linn-Mar’s homecoming was completely different. When we first arrived to the dance, there were endless lines for pictures and coat-check. After pictures, we went to the gym for the dance. Because grinding is completely banned there as well and it has been for a longer time, people have realized and learned how to dance without grinding. Initially it was a bit awkward because I didn’t know many people, except for those who I work with, and no one was dancing at first. After about fifteen minutes though, everyone was dancing and having fun. The music was ten times louder than Kennedy’s and you couldn’t even hear yourself think. The DJ had a great playlist- he is a Linn-Mar teacher and does DJ-ing for a part-time job. The other thing I thought was awesome was that you could request songs simply through twitter. They projected the “@_____” on the wall, and at any time you could send in your request. I also think the dance was more fun for me because less people could judge me since I don’t go to their school.

            With two perspectives and experiences on homecoming dances, it is interesting to see how different schools put on their dance. If I could make suggestions to future Kennedy dances it would be: 1) Have the dance in the gym! I know everyone is worried about the floor, but Linn-Mar puts a tarp down on theirs, and it does not damage the floor. 2) Get new music and make it louder! No one wants to hear random side conversations during a good song. 3) Get over the fact that you can’t grind. And finally, 4) Create an easier way to make song selections so no one can complain post-homecoming.  (568)