Grayslake North hosted a Homecoming dance on Saturday, Sept 17, from 7 p.m.-10 p.m. located on the football field. The theme this year was “A Knight with the Stars.”

“The theme was great because it was really general. Lots of people could actually match the theme and wear an outfit they really enjoyed,” said junior Santiago Tellez.

This year Homecoming was a fresh start for the planning committee as it was the first Homecoming without accommodations for COVID.

“I was really expecting something much different from last year. I didn’t fully know what to expect since I’ve only technically been to only one Homecoming,” said junior Roxy Rondon.

North had the same DJ as last year. He performed in the cafeteria some days before during A, B, and C lunches.

“I’m not sure if the DJ was bad this year or maybe the vibe was off with the music, but the song choices were sort of out of date to me. I had a fun time in spite of all of that, but I wish there were some better songs that played,” said sophomore Rosa Clark.

North also had some new song choices selected by students, 2000- 2010s hits from Nicki Minaj, Pitbull, DJ Snake, Major Lazer, and MO.

There was a recommendation for slow dances, and three new slow songs were added to the mix. More couples this year also participated in the dance, further adding to the preference to more slow dance songs.

The dance was just as lively as the spirit week leading up to it. Students had brought dates and friends from Lakes, Grant, Antioch and Central.

“I brought my friends from other schools since they enjoyed the dance so much last year. It’s become an annual thing,” Clark said.

The dance had the bag system inside the school by the aux gym. It was run by alternating staff. A student could drop their bag off, write their name on a small Post-It note and go to the dance worry free of their items. Once they were done, they could go and pick it up just by stating their name.

Grayslake North does not have a designated spot for pictures before the dance. Students tend to find places to take pictures with all their friends.

“I took pictures at my friend’s house for this Homecoming since a lot of people said they were going to Lehmann Mansion this year. I wanted to do something different,” said junior Emily Janowski.

This year students took pictures at different locations than last year. Students took pictures at Lehmann Mansion and Lehmann Park.

Leading up to the dance, there was a week of spirit days, including pajama day, class color day, twin day, anything but a backpack day, and spirit wear.

“I wish more people participated in the spirit days leading up to Homecoming, but I still enjoyed dressing up myself,” said junior Lola Brama.

The sports days leading up to Homecoming thrusted the momentum forward, all leading up to the game on Friday and the assembly, where students watched their Homecoming nominees face off against teachers, others played in a game of musical chairs, and eventually Will Verber, Anneke Holm, Zion Hodges and Makayla Campbell were named as the winners of Golden Knights. The assembly was full of many performances by different clubs and sports. It ended with a dance by some of North’s favorite teachers.

“The assembly was actually way more fun than I thought it would be. The games were super engaging, but the teacher dance was my favorite,” said junior Emmy Verber.

The golf carts for the parade this year were decorated by many of the clubs/sports.

“FBLA spent anywhere from $50-$60 from our own pockets for the decorations for the hallway and our golf carts for the parade. Many clubs ended up getting golf carts, and honestly decorating was so fun,” said junior Emily Janowski.

Students spent much of their time and effort preparing for Grayslake North’s first dance of the year. Each year it is a collective effort to prepare and execute the Homecoming dance at North.

Gallery • 10 Photos

Seniors win powderpuff.

Homecoming, though it only lasts two hours, is a memory that is inspiring to renew each year with each new dance. The effort students and staff put into the event is greatly appreciated.