In the middle of Upper Division Convocation, “Let It Go” from Disney’s Frozen suddenly began blaring from the speakers. Suddenly, Elsa and Olaf burst onstage to announce the 2024 Homecoming Dance theme: Winter Wonderland!

In previous years, the Betty Jane Dimmitt Gymnasium was the venue for dances. However, flooding from Hurricane Helene had damaged the wooden floor. As a result, the 2024 Homecoming Dance was held at the Straz Family Field House. This year, over 500 tickets were sold.

At the dance, there were a total of 15 tables with about 10 chairs at each. The Straz lobby and gym were beautifully decorated in blue and white snowflakes, complete with a professionally-made balloon display, cotton candy table and dance floor (slightly bigger than before). Ten teachers chaperoned the event, ensuring everything ran smoothly. 

Afterwards, a survey was sent out to the entire Upper Division, providing an opportunity for students to share their thoughts about the first Homecoming dance held in the Straz.

Surprisingly, the majority of people enjoyed being in the Straz instead of the Dimmitt. Many people reported the Straz felt more spacious than the Dimmitt. 

“Having [the dance] in the Straz was a better alternative than the Dimmitt,” Samantha Zophin ’25 said, “but it took awhile for people to get on the dance floor, so [the event] felt shorter.” 

Many good things were said about the dance, yet there were some things students believed could have been better.

The main source of dissatisfaction was the lack of activities, mainly a photo booth or a game room (typical to a middle school dance, but uncommon for a formal dance).  Lyndsey Carlson ’27 suggested a “better photo op” to improve the dance, since the two photo opportunities–balloon display and backdrops with masks–went unnoticed. In addition, some students wanted a spikeball/athletic section in the back of the Straz. However, having these activities would pose some safety issues, which is why the Homecoming Committee decided against the activity.

Furthermore, most complained about the music. In fact, 47% of students who responded to the survey said they wanted a better DJ. Ryan Kreup ’27 said, “The DJ kept skipping the best part of songs.” 

Oliver Lacktman ’27 suggested “higher quality DJ and music” for next year’s Homecoming Dance. Students noticed the DJ took some song recommendations but never played the music requested. Some songs were disregarded because Berkeley imposes specific rules regarding the type of music played at events (no curse words, no suggestive content, etc.). Moreover, a song request form was sent out in the weeks prior to the dance, but only ten songs were requested. Sophomore Student Forum Members used this form to compile a playlist, which the DJ followed during the dance.

Additionally, the cotton candy was a big hit, but many students were disappointed about the absence of snacks and food. Zak DiPiazza ’27 proposed fruit punch as another drink option (instead of just water, Coke or Sprite). 

Finally, there were mixed reviews about the length of the dance. About 39% of students wanted the dance to be shorter (1-2 hours), while others were perfectly fine with the event being three hours. 

Since nobody was allowed to leave before 10:00 p.m, a few students proposed allowing people to leave whenever they pleased. When asked about the administration’s reason for prohibiting early departure, Caroline Lindsey (Upper Division Assistant Director) said, “Our hope is that students who choose to come to the dance are excited to be there […] we want them to have as much time as possible to enjoy those activities […] Students are permitted to stay a full three hours, but are welcome to stay for only two – which we hope will give them plenty of time [to enjoy the night].”

Overall, the Homecoming Committee did a very good job of relocating the Homecoming Dance from the Dimmitt Gymnasium to the Straz Family Field House. 

For the first time, the Homecoming Dance had to be planned twice due to Hurricanes Helene and Milton interfering with the schedule, yet the Committee handled the challenge with grace. English department Faculty and Homecoming sponsor Danielle Marcantuono-Polstra said, “I’m really proud of all the members of the homecoming commitee, they worked really hard, especially while dealing with the aftermath of two hurricanes […] the best part of Homecoming was just seeing students smiling, dancing and having a good time.”