Over 200 students became “Ferris Famous” at the university’s first Homecoming dance in decades.
Homecoming week kicked off on the night of Saturday, Sept. 23. From 7-10 p.m. in the David L. Eisler Center ballrooms.
Students got the chance to dance with Brutus the bulldog and take 360-degree pictures with their friends.
The dance was the first in a series of events to be hosted by Entertainment Unlimited. E.U., a registered student organization, took over all planning for Ferris’ 2023 Homecoming week. The week’s theme is “Ferris Famous,” and dance attendees were encouraged to dress in their finest black-tie attire.
E.U. President Kaitlyn Walters commented on the history of Ferris homecoming dances and how students can support the dance coming back next year.
“It was a tradition stemming all the way back from at least the 50s,” Walters said. “Students can attend our meetings this year if they want to have a voice in our future traditions and whether things like the dance will be returning, or if we want to look at other opportunities.”
Since this was the first dance in so long, and many upperclassmen missed their high school dances during the pandemic, students were excited to see what the music, turnout and energy would be like.
Pre-veterinary medicine senior Donnie Loy was out on the floor dancing and enjoying having a homecoming dance back at Ferris.
“It’s pretty cool,” Loy said. “I’m glad we’re bringing something like this back.”
This sentiment seemed to be shared by most that were there with their beaming faces, dance moves and attire. At the height of the night, over 50 people danced in unison to “Cupid Shuffle” and “Macarena”.
Leading these dances was pre-pharmacy freshman Meri Cox. She was excited to see more people coming throughout the night to fill the ballroom.
“There’s actually a lot more people now. At the beginning, there was nobody,” Cox said.
Although the attendance started slow, over 200 students and guests came to check it out throughout the night.
During dance classics like “Love Shack” and “Wobble,” groups of students and one bulldog crowded onto the dance floor to follow Cox’s confident choreography.
“[It was] funny. I turned around and Brutus was trying to watch me,” Cox said.
Cox also shared that she would be willing to go if Ferris had more dances in the future.
There are areas where the students believed E.U. could improve dances. Welding freshman Gabby Buerkel would have appreciated more promotional material, similar to the abundance of posters for Trevor Wallace’s upcoming performance.
“I think [the dance] was a really good idea,” Buerkel said. “Although with a better notice. At the beginning of the year, say, ‘Hey, don’t forget to bring your nice dress with you for homecoming.’ I do hope [Ferris hosts] something like this in the spring as a prom, then a little reminder would be nice too.”
Buerkel enjoyed the range of songs played at the dance from the average music often heard at high school homecoming.
“Typical music reminds me a lot of high school in a sense, and the mid-90s, thank God,” Buerkel said. “They’re playing the classics, they’re playing songs that you wouldn’t necessarily hear because they’ve got a few cuss words.”
Most attendees stuck to the black-tie attire, wearing formal dresses and suits. Some arrived in costumes. One group of three took to the dance floor wearing carved pumpkin heads, bringing a more light-hearted and fun approach to the dance.
For information on more Homecoming events, visit the university event calendar and poster bulletins across campus.