Mavericks dance the night away in paradise 

Homecoming is all about traditions; this year, Minnesota State added a new one: the homecoming dance. 

Keb Spear was in charge of the homecoming festivities this year. He helped plan the lip sync battle, the concert and the bonfire (which did not happen this year due to weather). 

Spear said he wanted to add something for the Mavericks to end the homecoming week off right, and what better way than a dance? 

“A lot of high schools have homecoming dances; it’s kind of the norm. But most colleges don’t. I think it’s kind of a cool opportunity,” said Spear. “The dances we had last year were pretty successful, so I think this one could too. We had Second Chance prom and some other dances, too, and a lot of people had fun and liked it.” 

The theme for homecoming was Mavericks in Paradise. Paradise can look different for everyone, which is one of the reasons Spear decided on this for the theme. 

“When I think of paradise, I think of being on the beach or up North with my family. Paradise is where you enjoy somewhere you want to be, and that’s how we (Student Event Teams) feel about MSU students,” said Spear. 

Spear said that dances like this are important to students, not just high school students but college students as well. Spear said it is a good time for students to get together and know others. 

“For people who didn’t want to go downtown, the dance was a safe opportunity for them. They didn’t want to go drink,” said Spear. “We also had Karaoke going on, and a lot of people like that. So this event is reaching out to a lot of people.” 

The night started at 7 p.m. in the CSU Ballroom with house music. At around 7:20 p.m., they transitioned into slow music as more people showed up. At 8:45 p.m., they started Karaoke. Karaoke and the DJ’s music continued until the dance ended at 10 p.m.  

Spear said he hopes that students got a lot out of the dance and that it becomes a Maverick tradition that sticks around for years. 

“I just hoped they saw this dance as a good representation of our school, how we give back to students as its student focus,” said Spear. “I just hope to have a good time and enjoy homecoming and see this is a good way to end it.” 

This is not the first dance to happen on campus. Last spring, there was a second chance prom for those who did not get one in high school or were international students and did not know what prom was.

Write to Lauren Viska at lauren.viska@mnsu.edu

Header Photo: The Homecoming Parade at Minnesota State sets the tone for the remainder of Saturday’s events, including the football game and Homecoming dance. It incorporates fan favorites such as the Maverick Machine and the Mankato T-birds. (Nate Tilahun/The Reporter)