COVID didn’t stop Cotter’s Homecoming dance, but it sure changed it.

On September 18, 2021, Cotter held its 9-12 homecoming dance. With the ongoing effects of Covid-19, the dance was held outside on the Saint Joseph cafeteria patio. The dance was held from 7-9 PM and Cotter students were not allowed to bring guests from other schools.

Instead of having a DJ, the student council arranged a playlist to play at the dance. Before the dance, a survey went out to students about what type of music and songs they would like to be played at the dance. The student council put together a playlist using recommendations from the students and sent it to admission for approval. 

I personally have mixed opinions on the dance. I was grateful that our school was able to hold a homecoming dance in the first place, so having it outside wasn’t a problem.  I enjoyed the fresh air because dances inside tend to get hot really quickly. I would have preferred if the main lights were fully turned off because it would have made people on the dance floor more comfortable. The playlist was a good idea because that way we were able to skip songs we didn’t want to listen to. 

Megan Nordgren, a student council advisor, said that the student council worked closely with the administration to lay out rules for the dance. 

“Anytime a large group is gathered in a Covid environment–especially being as close together as a dance– administration needs to be part of the planning process,” Nordgen said.

With concerns about whether or not Cotter would even be able to have a dance, adjustments had to be made. “By planning it outside, it lessened the chances of it getting canceled for some grades or all grades due to a Covid surge or change in indoor capacities. We also felt it was the safest option,” Nordgren siad. 

After talking to students about the dance post homecoming it became very clear that some were unsatisfied with the outcome of the dance. After waiting two years for a 9-12 dance, some students were expecting a much better experience, while others were pleased with the dance.

“After missing two all high school dances, my expectations were high in hopes of having a really good homecoming…my expectations should have been a lot lower because this dance was the worst dance of my high school career,” Hailey Biesanz said.

Some students agreed with Biesanz and added that they were expecting a higher energy dance. 

 “I thought it was a pretty good dance for having it in the middle of a pandemic, ” sennior Lexi Danielson said.

Other students agreed with Danielson saying that they didn’t set their expectations too high because of the restrictions due to Covid.