The Homecoming Dance will now take place as a Winter Formal dance on Saturday, Feb. 5, in the big gym.

Ticket sales will begin around Jan. 5, and tickets originally sold for the homecoming dance will be valid for the Winter Formal.

The Homecoming Dance, initially scheduled for Oct. 2, was postponed indefinitely by the school administration in an effort to ensure the safety of students and staff after the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health determined that there were too many positive covid-19 cases among students from the weekly onsite testing.

This delay was announced one day before the anticipated event, which disappointed students and members of the Associated Student Body (ASB) and Senior Board who spent the day setting up for the event. 

“It was devastating,” ASB and Senior Board Advisor Mr. Jacob Ferrin said, recounting the moment the team learned of the lamentable news. “We were sitting up during the fifth period when we got the message from the admin saying that they were canceling it. Heads were on desks, tears were almost shed.”

Despite the setbacks, ASB and Senior Board members remained determined to organize a social event for students. After encountering persistent difficulties, the team of individuals obtained a time extension and officially replaced the postponed homecoming dance with a Winter Formal.

“We just didn’t have enough time to do a homecoming,” Mr. Ferrin said. “It made a lot more sense to put a little more room into it and create a better event. We did not lose an event, we just transformed it into a Winter Formal.”

Concerns remain as to whether or not the ongoing covid-19 pandemic poses the risk of potentially canceling the Winter Formal. 

Mr. Ferrin expresses confidence in the successful occurrence of this event since it is planned to take place after Jan. 10, referring to the Los Angeles Unified School District’s mandate which requires all students 12 years of age or older who are eligible for the covid-19 vaccine to be fully vaccinated by Jan. 10, 2022; students who remain unvaccinated by this deadline during the start of the second semester will be unenrolled from school and will have the option of joining LAUSD’s independent study program City of Angels.

He also states that in order to prevent any potential postponement or cancellation, common covid-19 safety regulations and protocols will be in place during the event, such as the routine wearing of face masks.

“We will follow any and all district guidelines,” Mr. Ferrin said. “Whatever they tell us to do we will do it, and whatever they tell us we cannot do we will not do it. We will make sure everyone is safe and having a good time.”

Despite these circumstances and the discouraging postponement of the homecoming dance earlier in the semester, ASB and Senior Board are passionate about the prospects the Winter Formal offers and dedicated towards its coordination, already deciding on and finalizing the events’ theme.

Various details about the upcoming Winter Formal remain unknown as of now. It is uncertain whether or not students will have the opportunity to invite vaccinated individuals from other schools to the event.