Following an eventful spirit week, Tamalpais High School hosted its annual Homecoming Dance on Oct. 1. Students of all grades, dressed in their best attire, packed into the Student Center for a night full of entertainment and Tam spirit. 

“A lot more people showed up than we expected, so that is always a great problem to have,” commissioner of the leadership spirit and dance committee senior Lily Pashman. “Along with the music and food, my favorite part was probably the decorations. I think they looked really good.” 

Pashman explained that the logistics were at times a little hectic, but worth the stress. “I think we could have gotten a bit more support from other members of leadership because, on the day of the dance, we were definitely scrambling to set everything up,” Pashman said. 

Being the first dance of the year, she said that things should only get better as the school year goes on. Pashman urged all students to join her at the next dance, the winter formal in Gus Gym as she looks to close her senior year of leadership on a high note. 

“I definitely liked the photo booth the most. I also enjoyed the food, but the booth was fun for me and my friends to get more unique pictures, rather than just taking them on our phones,” Angelino Arroyo, a junior and varsity basketball player at Tam, said. 

With lots of her friends being from other schools, Arroyo was not the biggest fan of the closed-door policy. “Personally, I think that we should be able to bring people from other schools, so more of an open invite kind of thing, ” she said, feeling that it would be a fun way for everyone to see new faces, make new friends, and “spice up the dance a little bit.” Arroyo looks forward to attending the next dance and hopefully having the chance to bring all her friends for another night of fun and photos.

Newly promoted Tam leadership advisor and Chemistry teacher Jonathan Chan expressed his happiness with the variety of students he saw in attendance at the homecoming dance. “I think it went very well,” Chan said. “We finished the night with over 600 attendees, including a lot of students who I think normally would not go to a dance. I am very happy about that because part of our mission in leadership and part of why I was excited about it was to make sure no student feels left out and has a community to feel a part of here.” 

Going forward, Chan already has some possible adjustments in mind to ensure the best experience for all students.

 “We had a music suggestion form, so kids could write their suggestions. That is one thing I really want to emphasize for future dances, as some thought the song choices could’ve been a bit better,” he clarified. “I also understand the closed-door policy was widely talked about, so that is another thing we are looking into and hoping to make possible for next year’s homecoming, and possibly the winter formal as well.” 

Regarding the winter formal, Chan wanted to remind students to purchase their tickets early, as the event will most likely be in Gus Gym with a limited amount of tickets being sold.