As most Eagles know, Enloe had their first Homecoming dance on September 21, 2024, for the first time in sixteen years. The Eagle Club did a spectacular job setting up and creating a lively atmosphere for the dance. From sacrificing many hours on weekends and after school to plan and decorate to ensuring Enloe had the best possible Homecoming dance we could, the Eagle Club did it all! However, students had mixed feelings about how the dance went. Recently, a poll was put up on the Eagle’s Eye Instagram page asking if students thought the dance was a hit or a miss. 48% of the voters (80 students) said the dance was a hit, and 52% of the voters (88 students) said the dance was a miss. Of course, not everyone who attended the dance voted on the poll, which may have skewed the results. However, it was clear that some voters had different views about the dance, even while others found aspects of the experience enjoyable.
Sophomore Vaidehi Vadlamudi shared her thoughts about the dance, and when asked about her favorite part, she responded, “I liked the photo booth at the back!” Many other students agreed with her, commenting that the photo booth “made the dance feel more professional.” While Vadlamudi enjoyed certain aspects of the event, she also felt there was room for improvement, saying, “[It was] not really that hype…” She suggested, “It could’ve been better if it had been promoted more.” While sharing her thoughts on the music, Vadlamudi said, “The rap wasn’t really that good. The white girl music was better!” Ms. Fields, the Eagle Club advisor, seemed to agree. “During the dance, I was in the lobby, making sure things were going okay from behind the scenes,” she said. “But all of a sudden, students started rushing into the gym. Naturally, we thought a fight was going on, but when the officers came back out, they said ‘It was just a good song playing.’” Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night” was the standout song of the night! As the chorus hit, the energy in the room skyrocketed. Students lifted each other into the air, adding to the excitement and turning the dance floor into a vibrant celebration!
Jai Mekapati, a junior at Enloe, had more thoughts to offer. When asked for his recommendations about attending the dance, he responded, “If you were going with friends…and you’re okay with dancing with other people and enjoying the music itself, it’s fun!” His favorite part of the dance was the DJ. “I thought he was really entertaining!” said Mekapati. However, when asked about the music itself, Mekapati said, “I didn’t personally recognize too many songs, but I knew some of the popular ones… But there were definitely some good songs that they played as well!” While Jai didn’t recognize every song, he felt that the dance offered a great time for those ready to enjoy the music and a fun night with friends!
When asking Sophomore Amarissa Akyea why she didn’t attend the dance, she responded “It was too expensive and I’m a broke 10th grader who needs a job.” This seems to be the reason why many other underclassmen didn’t attend the dance. “I’ve been hearing mixed reviews. Some people said it was fun but it wasn’t worth the $30. Other people said they shouldn’t have gone at all – it was hot inside,” Akyea says. “I think it’s fun and cool to have a HOCO. I just feel like they should develop it more and not just have it in the west gym…”
Elijah Kirkpatrick, the Eagle Club President, made a point to clarify how important the Homecoming dance’s financial success was for Enloe’s athletic programs. “What we [ended] up doing was all of the money we made from ticket sales and half of the money from concessions that night is going right back to our athletic programs,” Kirkpatrick explained. “Because of how well we did on the event, they can be fully funded.” He also emphasized the excitement surrounding the opportunity to reinvest in Enloe athletics, saying, “These are opportunities that other schools are getting, and we’re just excited to bring them back to Enloe!”
When asked if the Homecoming dance would be an annual event, Ms. Fields answered “Absolutely! As long as we can have them, we will have them.” She went on to explain that the Eagle Club is always looking for ways to engage students and make school events more exciting. So, Eagles, whether you’re a fan of the dance or not, get ready because Homecoming is here to stay!
