A large number of students skipped out on the 2023 Homecoming dance “In The Stars” for multiple reasons. Many students realized that Lockport Township High School has their Homecoming on the same day, which seemed to be more appealing to students.“I’m going to Lockport’s Homecoming this year because I have friends who go there and Lemont’s Homecoming wasn’t very fun last year,” sophomore Meghan Wehn said. “I saw how much fun Lockport’s Homecoming was last year, so I have high expectations for this year’s.”
Adding on to the lack of excitement at our school dance, many were disappointed with the music and spirit from the DJ during the 2022 Homecoming. This year’s DJ proved to be only slightly better.
“Better than last year, but overall pretty mediocre. Nothing special,” sophomore Matthew Schmitt said.
The biggest difference between this year’s homecoming and last year’s is the setting of the dance. The 2022 Homecoming dance was held primarily inside the field house, with only a small, cramped area outdoors available for students. This year’s Homecoming however, was on the football field, where there was much more breathing room for students.
Although the outdoor setting was a huge improvement, the free treat that was advertised was a huge let-down due to its small serving size.
“They [the ice cream servings] were undersized, not oversized,” Schmitt said. “The actual flavors were good though. I got cookie dough and tried lemon sorbet. Overall, it was pretty funny getting served a baby scoop of ice cream.”
Even though the theme this year was vastly different from last year’s, students still input their concerns with the decorations and how they can be improved for next year.
“I feel like LHS can do a better job making the decorations better, because the only good things there were was the tables and the fairy lights,” sophomore Isabella Locascio said. “Everything else wasn’t as good. There were just a bunch of clouds.”
Not only were the decorations criticized, but the dance kept being compared to other schools. For example, Lockport Township High School has been known for amazing Homecoming dances. It seems that the main difference between Lemont and other schools’ success rate is based on the engagement levels of students.
“There’s no engaging activities, there’s only photo areas and they didn’t even work until the end of the dance,” Schmitt said. “You see other Homecomings and they look like full concerts, flashing lights and live music. LHS has a long way to go.”
