The football team is pumped, the cheerleaders are ready to yell and even the mascot has his new moves down. It's football season for high school students.
Many remember it fondly as a time of tradition, school spirit and the homecoming dance. But this year at McNeil High School in the Rock Independent School District, one of those traditions was canceled.
The school's October homecoming dance was called off.
The reason is, "a lot of issues regarding in appropriate dancing," RRISD Director of Communication JoyLynn Occhiuzzi said.
"Some teachers, I guess, do think it is too physical," McNeil student Orlando Martinez said.
McNeil students said it's just the way teenagers dance these days.
"That's the way it goes with the song and everything," Martinez said.
Instead of having the fall dance, the school will replace it with a carnival. The school used to host a carnival the Wednesday night before the Saturday dance.
School officials say this carnival will be on a much bigger scale.
Homecoming traditions such as crowning of the homecoming king and queen, hallway decorating, the band marching through the hallways, theme days throughout the week, contests and the float parade are still allowed.
Some students were sad to see the dance go. Last year, a record number 1,200 students attended the homecoming dance.
Some students have their own ideas about how to keep the dance despite the school's decision. They're considering organizing their own off-site dance.
As for the juniors and seniors there's still hope for their school dance -- prom remains on the schedule for next May.
Stony Point and Westwood high schools will continue their homecoming dance traditions this year. Round Rock High School is still undecided.
