Princesses, Fairies, & Elves Dance the Night Away

Roosevelt High School hosted their 2023 Homecoming dance on Sept. 16. This year the theme for Homecoming was “Enchanted Forest,” making it a great opportunity for unique attire. English teacher & Homecoming chaperone Ms. Bass stated, “I loved the theme for Homecoming; I thought it was really cute and magical.”

While students went all out with their outfits, Roosevelt Student Council (StuCo) went all out with the decorations. StuCo is responsible for selecting the theme, setting up the decorations, and providing food and drinks. 

This year there was an unexpected 60% chance of rain and the dance was moved to the small gym. Senior and Homecoming Queen Mariah Bueno said “I don’t think it was a bad change; I think it was good, especially because we thought it was going to rain.” 

Despite the location change, students still had a great time. “I enjoyed Homecoming; I thought it was fun,” Bueno said. “All my other three years it was hosted outside, but it’s a good change and it’s different.” 

Assistant Principal for StuCo, Ms. Reyes, however, stated “Just a mixed feeling because it was a last second movement…there were way too many kids for the small space provided.” She suggested decreasing the amount of tickets to be sold next year. “We’re definitely going to look at maybe next year keeping it in the small gym,” she added. 

As Students and teachers enjoyed the night, some would still say there were changes that needed to happen. New Homecoming chaperone and Art teacher Annabel Thomas, who happened to be the first to volunteer this year, provided additional feedback. “I think just having more help on hand from the other teachers would’ve been really nice,” Thomas said. 

This was the first Homecoming dance for freshman Abraham Davila. “Maybe just more tables and chairs [because] there were some people sitting on the floor up against the wall and it was all trashed,” Davila said. While the dance was in the small gym, the snacks and beverages were located in the Rough Rider foyer, causing long lines and some mishaps. “They had this fruit punch station and everyone kept spilling it,” Davila added.

Even with the difficulties, Rough Riders danced around them. “Overall, I had really good feedback,” Reyes said. “It was a big move and I think that it stressed everybody out, but I really liked how it turned out and the kids had fun.” 

After a fairly successful night, what does this mean for next year? “I would love to go to the next event; I had such a great time at Homecoming,” Davila said.