Under starry skies and stadium lights, Emmaus High School’s students celebrated the 2021 Homecoming Dance, only to be met by an anonymous threat to the remaining homecoming season.

On the evening of Oct. 9, hundreds of EHS students gathered at the East Penn School District stadium to celebrate this year’s homecoming dance, hosted by the Student Government Association.

Activities including snack stations, cornhole games, dancing and music united the school, being one of the first traditions to return since the pandemic’s advent in 2020.

Per school district policy, masks were not mandated during the dance, as it took place outdoors. However, members of SGA wore masks and gloves while serving food and refreshments.

The dance served as a small sliver of normalcy and a sign of change for many.

“It’s weird [to return to school events] because last year, I had basically no events and now there’s been a lot already,” student Alex Rosa said. “It feels good.”

However, this hopeful and impending return soon came to a halt after the East Penn School District released information to students, teachers, parents and guardians about an anonymous threat.

An update posted to the EPSD website stated the threat was directed toward the Homecoming football game and “out of an abundance of caution,” only participating student athletes, students and staff affiliated with the game, such as marching band members and approved media stations would be permitted as spectators. This excluded fans and families of those participating.

The game was eventually played and televised, with the new limitations in place. Emmaus beat Nazareth 35-7.

Possibly more disappointing for many was the postponement of the Homecoming Tailgate, another SGA-run event.

Originally scheduled for the afternoon of Oct. 15, just before the homecoming game, the event planned to offer food, games and crafts, all free-of-cost to students. Each featured activity was to be run by one of EHS’s many clubs.

For example, the Interact Club planned to create chalk art, while Habitat for Humanity planned to offer a bracelet-making station.

With the large sums of time, supplies and effort put into making the tailgate a success, students were frustrated to see this event postponed.

“I was really angry because I had baked 36 cupcakes the night prior,” student Kayla Gonzalez said. “I was having a really bad day, so that was just the icing on the cake.”

The tailgate finally took place Oct. 22 at the outdoor basketball courts and resumed its plans. Following 7 p.m., the boys varsity football game was played against Easton Area High School at the EPSD Stadium.