It only comes once a year. It is the most talked about dance on campus. It is the Welcome Dance.

This year’s Welcome Dance took place on Aug. 21, giving students the opportunity to dance the night away in their class colors. But to the seniors, the Welcome Dance is more than just a dance in a gym full of sweaty bodies and flashing lights.

“The Welcome Dance symbolized the beginning of my senior year,” said senior Michelle Reiss. “Since freshman year I’ve had this thought in my head that I was someday going to be that really old, intimidating senior wearing all blue, not knowing that that moment would come so quickly. And when it finally came, I knew that it was the beginning of my high school experience coming to an end.”

Tradition proves that the seniors go craziest with their blue outfits, which ranged from full-body blue crayon suits to superman shirts with blue capes. The process of getting ready is also a highly-anticipated tradition of the dance.

“Every year all my friends have gone to Sam Drust’s house and every time we have Tutto Fresco pasta,” said senior Mickey Galvin. “I don’t know how many times I’m going to get to cornrow my friends’ hair and bedazzle their faces.”

Unlike the formal dances of the year, the Welcome Dance is not about looking “good.” Instead, the dance is admired for being a time when high school clichés disappear for a few hours.

“I’m going to miss how everyone just did their own thing and didn’t care how anyone else danced,” said senior Madeline McFerren. “Everyone is mixed together so friend groups don’t matter and everyone just has a good time.”

Spotted each year at the dance are lone seniors getting into the beat of the music, swinging around the dance floor like there is no tomorrow and coming out of the three-hour dance dripping in sweat (some would say dripping in swag).

“I’m easily going to miss watching Ryne Russo going wild in every dance circle,” said senior Jack Iwamoto.

Being a senior at the Welcome Dance is quite the time to be alive. It is the time to let loose and embrace the last moments of high school before entering college.

“Take every opportunity, every chance and every moment as an Eagle to live it to the fullest,” Reiss said. “High school goes by so fast and I know that every day feels like the longest school day ever, but one day you’re a freshman wearing that yellow shirt with jeans to the Welcome Dance then next thing you know you are trying to find the craziest blue outfit you can find on Amazon.”

“Experience high school to the fullest and don’t care about what people think. Just do you and go out of your way to take a completely ordinary high school day and turn it into an incredibly extraordinary experience that will last a lifetime.”