Thanks to the hard work of Prep faculty and Student Senate, the 2021 installment of Prep’s Homecoming dance successfully reinvigorated the traditions of past Homecoming weekends. The dance took place inside Prep’s gym on the night of Saturday, October 30, 2021, and was open to 9th-through-12th graders and faculty chaperones, while Prep’s seventh and eighth grade students enjoyed their own Homecoming nine days earlier. The high school Homecoming dance is part of a long-standing tradition of celebrating Prep’s Homecoming football game, which was played against Chadwick School on the night of October 29th. 

As per Prep policy, students remained masked indoors, and vaccinations or appropriately-timed COVID test results were required. Despite regulations, COVID safety did not compromise the fun. Each person was permitted to bring one guest from outside of school, provided they complied with the protocols. 

Another deviation from historical Homecoming dances was the organization of Spirit Court. Prep eliminated the concept of Homecoming King and Queen in favor of a more inclusive, gender-neutral option that did not rely on heterosexual pairings. Despite many changes, there was still the traditional introduction of the members of Spirit Court in the middle of the dance, and during the football game.

To add flair to the event, people were given the chance to walk the red carpet and be photographed by a team of student ‘paparazzi’ as they entered the gym. Festivities were accompanied by tacos, which were served throughout the night to re-energize students while dancing. The night was memorialized through a photo station, where people could pose for pictures in front of a fake background. After the 2020 COVID hiatus, students claimed they were very “excited” to return to one of Prep’s most popular student events.