For freshman, there are many experiences that take place in the first couple of weeks at York that are exciting and new. From late arrival every Wednesday, going to school with adults, and being able to have new classmates from all over Elmhurst, it’s a lot of changes to get used to. In-school occurrences are not the only things that differ from previous events in middle school; there are many new out of school activities, including the Homecoming Dance. The first time that something new happens, it can be scary. There is little comfort in the unknown, so an interest was sparked on the feelings freshman had about homecoming.

“Overall the dance itself was a blast. I was told by many fellow upperclassmen along with teachers that they would make the field house into something completely different. (The field house) was like I was in a movie, yet I was the star”, said freshman Brennan Wright. “It was a great experience and I’m super excited for the next three homecoming dances.”

Many freshman were surprised about how big of a deal the Homecoming Dance was, and how different the gym looked transformed into a dance floor. The lights, the DJ, and decorations created a totally different outlook on the freshman on what York could become. To be able to see the school turn into something that opposes what students typically think about it allowed for a very lighthearted homecoming environment.

On the contrary, the scene of homecoming was also a little too “grown up” for certain freshman.

“I think that the fieldhouse was too crowded, and they should open it up more,” said freshman Matthew Kavanaugh. “It being crowded really helped people do inappropriate things.”

A common negative vibe from many of the underclassmen was that the floor was too crowded. For upperclassmen that are used to having dances be in tightly packed spaces, with feet being stepped on and people bumping into each other, the personal space is not much of an issue. Many freshman felt that by having the floor be so tightly compacted, there was more allowance for things that aren’t acceptable for a school dance.

Some freshman took the fact that the dance floor was crowded as a different sign, more of a tone for how the older students felt about attending the dance.

“It was so much more packed than I thought,” said freshman Frank Temple. “That shows that a lot of people turned up for the dance, meaning that York students have a lot of school spirit.”

By seeing so many of the older kids who are deemed “cool” at the dance, it made homecoming feel much more like a school wide celebration, than just a dance that some people attend. There had been talk from juniors and seniors about how homecoming may not be worth it, or wasn’t that fun, which worried freshman about the attendance. Seeing the large turnout on Saturday made many freshman feel a sense of unity with their older peers.

There was also an abundance of talk before the dance about how each year the music killed the ambiance, and led to students awkwardly waiting for songs to be over. For this years freshman, that did not seem to be a problem.

“I thought that it was super fun, and I was super excited,” said freshman Ally Gambino. “I also didn’t know that the music was going to be like that; I loved the music.”

By having songs to sing and dance to, it created a feeling that the party could be never ending, and for a majority of freshman, they wished the party could go all night long.

Homecoming night created a new magic for many freshmen’s York experiences.

“It was a great time,” said Emmett Paschen. “Being a freshman, [Homecoming] was a new experience and really opened us up to high school life. I can’t wait for the full four years here at York High School.”