As I arrived at my first homecoming dance this year at the Westin South Coast Plaza, I felt as if I had been invited to a rooftop house party. With the beautiful venue and delectable desserts, this year’s “Arabian Night” themed homecoming dance didn’t disappoint.

Located on the second floor of the Westin, this year’s homecoming venue was held outdoors. The hotel looked impressive  with a restaurant on the first floor and a waterfall fountain. Although my friend and I arrived at 7:30 p.m., the line to enter the venue surprisingly only took about 20 minutes. While waiting in line, we took pictures in a pink, glittery photo booth next to it.

As soon as we entered the venue on the second floor rooftop, I thought it was a bit undersized since I could see the whole venue from one spot. However, the layout of the venue was attractive with a large lit-up swimming pool in the middle and benches on the side where   guests could chat. The site reminded me of a music video because it looked like a terrace of an expensive house. Toward the back of the venue, there was a self-serve food area, refreshment tables, a smoothie bar and a spray-paint tattoo station.

I was impressed with the variety of desserts available, which included truffles, cheesecakes, cupcakes and more. In addition, the Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar drinks were tasty and it kept me hydrated throughout the night. On the other hand, the meals felt more like appetizers, which included chicken skewers, meatballs, chicken wings and pita bread on the side.

The dance floor was right in front of the swimming pool inside a tent-like dome. As the latest remix music pumped, I enthusiastically danced to the trendy songs. Mist was apparent in between songs along with beams of colorful lights, which helped boost the party atmosphere. However, the dance floor was a lot smaller and narrow than I had imagined, which made everyone crowd toward the front. The amount of body heat in the room was awful and I barely had any space to dance, leading me toward the side or back the whole time.

Overall, my first homecoming experience met my expectations. The charming venue kept me outdoors and the food kept me heading toward it. However, the dance floor should have been bigger and the song choices a little more upbeat.

         In addition, it was uncomfortable to watch students dancing inappropriately throughout the night. I noticed that most of the students outside the dance floor were merely sitting around and talking due to the lack of activities. Regardless of the cons, I made the most out of my night dancing and eating with friends. Ultimately, I am happy with what “Arabian Nights” brought this year.