This past Saturday, St. Thomas Eagles looking to have fun attended the Incarnate Word Academy back-to-school dance. Overall, STH students found the dance was better than anticipated. Thanks to the planning of the IWA student council and their DJ selection, St. Thomas students found it to be more enjoyable to both St. Agnes and Duchene dances. Because of the food, music, and a small number of Strake Jesuit students at the event, St. Thomas students were generally happy with the quality of the event.

First, the food at the event was fairly priced and purchasing lines were kept short throughout the dance. With items costing at most two dollars, STH students quickly noticed the low prices of the snacks provided. Also, on average, students spent less than one minute waiting in the food line. STH students were pleased with the price of the food and the speedy food service.

“They alright man. They were mad cheap, and it only cost two dollars,” freshman Sebastian Garza said.

Second, the music at the event was entertaining as most songs appealed to STH students. With the most minimal song recommendations allowed, STH students found the DJ’s taste in music and his remixes and transitions from one song to another likable. Top songs included “Titi Me Pregunto” by Bad Bunny, “Love Story” by Taylor Swift, and “Wanna Be A Baller” by Lil’ Troy. However, the most popular song played was “Mo Bamba,” the 2018 rap song Sheck Wes which consistently ranked in the top 30 songs on national charts throughout the year.

“The DJ was fire,” Senior Luke Shivers said. That and his favorite song of the night was “Dancing Queen” by ABBA because it made him “feel like a dancing queen.”

Finally, the lack of Strake students due to their homecoming being on the same night was appealing to many STH students. Originally expecting large numbers of underclassmen from Strake, many STH students were concerned about not knowing many people at the dance. However, having the great majority of boys at the dance being from St. Thomas, students found it easier to hang out with their friends while meeting new people.

“Strake kids? There are none.” Freshman Eddie Yanoul said. He also noted that he was “absolutely glad that their homecoming was on the same night.”

Overall, STH students were pleased with several aspects of the dance including the food, food service, music selection, and lack of Strake students. However, when asked what his favorite parts of the dance were, Senior Tommy Erb simply replied that his favorite parts about the dance were “watching [senior] James Dickinson dance to ‘Some Nights’” and “of course hanging out with girls.”