Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, the annual homecoming dance and assembly has been located outdoors. However, that has changed this year. The assembly and dance will be moving back inside, leaving students to question the decision, since the outside location has been successful and enjoyed by most in the past.

For the last two years, the dances have been positioned on the south end of Carstens Field. Now that homecoming has switched back to its original location, the Purple Gym, students will now in a tighter, more enclosed space, and there will no longer the opportunity to step outside to cool off. “Moshing” is an integral part of the homecoming dance, but with many bodies so close together inside, heat exhaustion is a new possible factor of the night. This is not an ideal situation that any student would want to be in; instead of enjoying the night, we will unfortunately be faced with claustrophobia and sweat dripping down our bodies.

Although this would not be what I pictured for my homecoming, it doesn’t take away the entertainment portion of the dance. The firework display will still be held the same as last year. At the conclusion of the dance, students will be ushered outside for the firework display. I am not satisfied with the decision of making students leave at a specific time; students may want to continue dancing if they have no desire to watch the firework show. The past two years has been fun to carry on dancing while watching fireworks. Stepping away from the dance floor can bring down the positive energy that the dance should provide.

The concern of the night is if the new spot will live up to the students expectations. The change in environment is uneasily anticipated by many students. The 2023 Homecoming dance will be put up to test Sept. 30. Did the Purple Gym stand up to the success of Carstens Field?