Graphic made in Canva by Fluco Journalism.

The “Rhythm in Rio”-themed Homecoming dance took place Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. in an FCHS cafeteria decorated with colorful balloons. “The vibe was amazing. It was a great way to spend my last senior year Hoco,” said senior Kyra “Ash” Pennington (pictured fourth from the left).

Many students wore blue to match the dance’s “Rio” theme. “Homecoming was so much fun this year. Everyone was constantly dancing and enjoying the moment,” said senior class president Natalie Gomez (pictured right, with senior Megan Pounsberry).

With only months to go before graduating, many seniors felt the excitement and bittersweetness of this year’s Homecoming. “The Homecoming dance was probably the best I’ve been to. It felt like everybody was dancing and having a good time, and the atmosphere was amazing. It made me super sad that this would be my last one,” said senior Margeaux Cantagallo.

Senior Madeline Hamel (pictured right, with senior Grace Harris) said that this was the first school dance she had attended since her freshman year. “It was really exciting to get to experience a Homecoming dance one last time before I graduate. My friends and I were right next to the speakers, and we had a super great time dancing to the really loud music,” said Hamel.

This year’s Homecoming DJ was Reggie Lewis, who also DJ’d the 2025 prom. Reviews of the music were generally positive, although several students commented on the music volume. “The music was good, but it was so loud. When we left, everything was muffled,” said senior Danielle Scott.

Junior Chloe Price (pictured with junior Peter Fulk) said, “[The dance] was really well put together and organized, and we had so much fun.”