Is your mind swimming with pretty dresses, bow ties, corsages, and great music….or stress and more stress? As you walk down the halls of FCHS the next few weeks, you can feel the excitement rising for the Homecoming dance which will be held Nov. 2   in the FCHS cafeteria. The Student Government Association (SGA) has been working extremely hard to raise money to make this the best Homecoming yet. This year’s theme, “Yellow Brick Road,” will have students feeling like they’ve walked into the classic movie The Wizard of Oz.

But with the excitement over Homecoming always comes a few worries, including whether or not the music will be considered a “hit” or “miss.” “Granted, we had a great DJ last year and it’s easier to do it through the school. But I think it would be cool for us to find somebody else because I feel like we never get the music we want and request,” said sophomore Bridget Bossong. Music can make or break a dance and that’s why good music is crucial for a dance to be successful. “The music last year was bland and overplayed.  We need something fresh and hype,” said junior Casey Johnson.

Sophomore Amber Pace thinks students should be able to make music requests at the dance. “I think there should be some kind of list or something where people can put requests and they will be played in order. This would let people have their own say in what music gets played because everyone has different types of music that they like,” she said.

What many students don’t realize is that the Homecoming playlist is actually all student-driven: It is chosen by SGA students ahead of time. And some students do think that SGA does the music just right. “Most of the music is what a lot of us listen to already. It’s enjoyable to dance to and well picked out,” said sophomore Brandon Hackenberg. It’s also important to keep in mind that students complain about the Homecoming playlist every year and that it’s impossible to please everyone because there are so many different kinds of music. So if you do want to make a request, be sure to contact an SGA member as soon as possible.

    Of course, students considering going to Homecoming have an additional concern this year—namely, are their grades good enough?  With the new school policy, students must be passing all classes in order to attend the dance. “I think it’s a great idea because it will make you work harder in class in order to have fun at the dance,” said Hackenberg. Sophomore Tyler Marshall agrees. “Knowing you will be receiving something fun and exciting in exchange for all the hard work will make you even more excited to keep working and reaching your fullest potential,” he said.

One final topic of concern for some students is the dancing wristbands. Like at last year’s dance, all students will receive a wristband as they enter the dance. If they dance inappropriately they will have their wristband removed as a warning. If the student continues to behave inappropriately, they’ll be asked to leave the dance right away. Some students welcome this attempt to keep the dancing “clean;” others aren’t so thrilled, but the fact remains that wristbands are here to stay.

So remember the dance is coming up fast. Keep the grades up so you won’t be left out, get caught up in the excitement all around the school, and have the best Homecoming ever on Nov. 2.