A long-awaited night out, filled with friends and fancy attire was almost canceled due to Covid-19 but a change in location has allowed students to have a Homecoming of their own.

The change in location to the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) has given many students their first opportunity to participate in a school dance. The intent for the Homecoming dance was to be at Skyline as it has been in previous years however, due to health concerns with Covid-19 surrounding the limited size of Skyline’s gym, the dance was moved to MoPOP. 

With remote learning last year, this school year’s Homecoming is the first dance since before the pandemic. ASB was working hard to keep the dance at Skyline but protocols prevented this from happening.

“[ASB] had an ongoing talk with admin and the district about Covid,” ASB member Aashna Patil said. “Once we realized it just wasn’t going to happen [at Skyline] because of covid restrictions, we wanted to be safe so the change to MoPOP was made.”

Still, this year’s Homecoming will be different than the past in even more ways. Covid-19 restrictions were enforced that changed what a typical Homecoming looked like. MoPOP is not a dance and students from other schools, unfortunately, can not attend but Patil is hopeful the event will be a success. 

More than 700 tickets have been sold and MoPOP’s unique setting and attractions are drawing students in just as ASB hoped it would.

“There are cool picture locations with many interesting things to look at and there will still be music playing,” Patil said.

Students are excited for what MoPOP has to offer and are optimistic about the event.

Freshman, Ryan Edwards said, “I think it’s going to be a lot more fun to go to MoPOP and have a different environment than school campus.”

MoPOP has so many different exhibits from Pearl Jam to a Guitar Gallery and even has interactive exhibits like the Indie Game Resolution Room. Homecoming is being held under special circumstances this year and may not occur again.

“I don’t think that [Skyline] will have Homecoming at MoPOP again because it is more difficult to rent out a space than to have it at school,” Patil said. “MoPOP will give students the opportunity to experience a Homecoming like nothing they have had or may have again which is just another reason why we are so fortunate to have [Homecoming] at MoPOP.”

Still, even with MoPOP’s exhibits and opportunities some students opted to have a Homecoming just without going to MoPOP with some of MoPOP’s Covid-19 restrictions factoring into students’ plans.

“The hardest restriction for a lot of groups was that no one from any other schools could go to MoPOP.” Senior, Vivienne Sam said, “Some groups initially planned on going to MoPOP but could not go because people from other schools were in their group.”

This year has taken many experiences away from students and MoPOP has offered a chance to have an official school event after the pandemic has stripped the Skyline community from having one since 2019. Though MoPOP has turned some students away, for others it has allowed Homecoming plans to still be made possible.

For more information on MoPOP and Covid-19 restrictions you can look at Skyline’s Homecoming website.