When the weather turns cooler, the air becomes crisper and the leaves change color, this signals the beginning of homecoming season. Homecoming, the tradition that many schools have, typically consists of a football game followed by a dance the next day. Solon High School’s Las Vegas themed homecoming was on October 5th at 7:30 pm. 

This year’s homecoming dance attracted many students. While the decorations, photo booths, lighting, and DJ added to the atmosphere, students had different opinions on the homecoming dance itself.

Mabel Lee, a senior at Solon High School and a member of the Student Council Executive Board, decided to attend her first homecoming this year because it was her last chance to go. 

“My friend group and I went to this pretty gazebo, and it was really fun taking pictures before the dance.” Lee said.

While her favorite part of her overall experience was before the actual dance, she says that she enjoyed dancing and seeing people she knew.

“If I saw someone it would be like screams of joy and we run into each other’s arms,” she said. “We would dance and sing, and that was fun.”

Lee is not the only one who enjoyed dancing and meeting up with people during homecoming. Casey Wilson, a junior at Beachwood High School, attended the dance as a guest. 

While this wasn’t Wilson’s first homecoming, it was her first Solon homecoming. Overall, she thought that it was a great dance.

“I actually [enjoyed] Solon’s theme, and I thought that the DJ played pretty good music,” she said. “I also liked how the DJ took requests.”

Lee states that the DJ was one of the most important tasks that Student Council was faced with. Compared to previous years, many people complained about the DJ, and Lee says that it was hard to find a DJ that fits many people’s tastes. 

When asked if she would come back to Solon’s homecoming next year, Wilson said that she would consider it.

“Well, I went with some friends from Solon this year, and most of them are seniors,” she said. “So, I guess it depends… but I did like the dance so I’d think about it.” 

Sam Rosenberg, a sophomore from Beachwood High School, also attended Solon’s homecoming for the first time and commented on how he liked the decor and would consider going to Solon’s homecoming again.

“I thought the decor was pretty nice and I had a pretty good time, especially before the dance,” Rosenberg said. “I think I would go again next year with some Solon friends.”

The Las Vegas night theme decor included playing card decorations hanging from the ceiling, casino chip chocolates, black and red tablecloths, two photo booths, and a big Las Vegas-style welcome sign. 

Lee speaks about why Student Council chose the Las Vegas theme. 

“We wanted to choose a theme that was inclusive of everyone and was also fun at the same time… I think we did a good job with that and portraying the theme in the decorations,” she said. 

Aside from the decorations, students like Lee were surprised by and enjoyed the photo booths.

“I was surprised how high tech they were!” she said. “I really thought that was cool because they would text you the pictures. I know that we [student council] planned the photo booths, but I didn’t fully appreciate them until I saw them.”

While Wilson’s favorite aspect of the dance was the DJ, she also enjoyed the lighting.

“…I really liked the lighting at the dance because it helped transform the gym and gave it a better atmosphere,” she said.

Although people generally had a good time at the dance, Wilson says that she didn’t like how the water was running out and the lack of food. 

“Towards the end of the dance, the water started to run out and, when everyone is [exhausted] from dancing; that isn’t the best thing,” she said. “Also, I don’t know if it’s allowed or not, and even though I thought the chocolates were cute, it would have been nice to have some snacks.” 

Although Lee states that they considered adding food to this year’s dance, they were not allowed as it was considered a hazard.

“We were able to add chocolates in the shape of chips, but every time someone on [the] council thought up a different food idea, we had to turn it down because it posed a potential risk,” she said. 

Despite the slight differences in Wilson’s, Rosenberg’s and Lee’s opinions, they all have one thing in common: being around friends makes homecoming a special night.