Over the years, I have yearned to go to Homecoming. Year after year, I watched as my peers went to dances of circuses and wonderlands, so when I was finally able to go in my senior year, I was ecstatic. I had heard many negative rumors about previous Homecoming dances, but my experience was splendid. With a picturesque venue, cute decorations, and an overall peppy atmosphere, this year’s event was a success.

My ideas and expectations of Homecoming were invariably painted by cinematic depictions of it that I had seen growing up, and my first experience matched up. The venue was absolutely breathtaking, with an auditorium, balcony, and a downstairs area. If nothing else, the venue choice was perfect. The music was the only aspect of the night that disappointed me. However, it was expected as my personal taste in music differs drastically from popular music.

I arrived at Riverside Municipal Auditorium a bit late, around 8:30 p.m. One thing I noticed right off the bat was that most people were not really dancing. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, but the music seemed to bring the mood down. There were seating tables as well as tables with food scattered next to the dance floor, decked up with themed decorations. The food provided was limited to sweets and drinks, but this was not a problem. Surely no one expected to eat a full-course meal there. Some exotic meatball-eqsue entree was also offered, likely to suit the “Around the World” theme. There were also some off-theme Dia de Los Muertos decorations at this table, which confused me.

In fact, the venue sported few “Around the World” themed decorations or activities. The theme did not translate well into the dance.

After dancing for a while, I decided to go downstairs and explore the venue. The photo booths and caricature artists were set up at a patio-like area downstairs, which was breath-taking, to say the very least. Large fairy lights lit up the balcony and the first floor, and there was a beautiful, ornate fountain right in the middle of it all. The activities also included karaoke, and many students seemed to be participating.

The lines for the photo booths and caricature artists were admittedly long, but understandably so. My friends and I took turns holding places in line, making it more bearable. The photobooth had cute but limited props, and it strangely printed in black and white instead of the color we selected. This was not a major problem, but I was annoyed nonetheless.

I expected that the event would be a little awkward without a date, but I was surprised that it wasn’t. No part of the setup was exclusive to couples, so the experience was not discomforting for those like me, who chose to go with friends.

Overall, my Homecoming experience was everything I imagined it to be and more. USB did a wonderful job of setting up an event that welcomed couples and friends alike, and I was left wishing I had gone to the previous three.