On September 17, 2021 South El Monte High school held its first homecoming dance since being closed for distance learning. The dance took place outside of the South El Monte gym due to the safety concerns of Covid-19. Many students attended the dance, masks were mandatory to attend the dance and most people attending the dance followed these precautions. Social distancing wasn’t one of the biggest concerns at the dance due to students dancing with each other and socializing. 

Students and teachers attending the dance were restricted to the back-lot side of the school next to the high school’s field house. Tables were set up on the edges of the dance, spaced out at a safe distance for students to be able to sit down and enjoy snacks and beverages that were being sold. At around 9pm the dance hit its peak of students in attendance at the dance, the dance floor became very crowded as students started to bunch together and dance to the latest pop hits by artists such as Doja Cat, Kid Cudi, Bad Bunny, Drake, Travis Scott, and Maluma. 

Masks were able to be removed at reserved places like the backdrops for photos, and the tables that were set up on the outer edges of the lot. Students were asked to put their masks back on when they went back onto the dance floor, or out of the designated areas where masks could be removed.

“The dance was a fun experience, I felt that it was a safe environment with most of the students wearing their masks,” stated sophomore Andrew Medina, a fellow student at South El Monte High school. Students started to leave the dance at around 10:30pm with the dance ending at 11pm. The staff and helpers that were attending the dance were letting students know that it was time for them to start leaving, with most students leaving at around 11pm. The exits were full of students leaving the dance, with the staff parking lot full of students waiting for their rides back home. “I think everyone was wondering what a post-COVID dance would look like,” stated Mr. Johnson, the journalism advisor at SEMHS. The students finally were able to see their friends again in a fun environment following such a historical unprecedented event.