Excitement and congestion flooded the doors of the senior café during the homecoming dance on Saturday Oct. 15.

Just after 10:10 pm, fire alarms rang throughout the school. Set off by fog machines used for the dance floor, the alarms sent an automatic message to the Shawnee Police and Fire Departments.

 Students stood together as they awaited the opening of the doors to retrieve their items they had checked in, while fire and police officials made their way inside.

“While we were outside, we were just laughing and worrying about our shoes and taking pictures in front of the fire trucks,” junior Emma Shaw said.

After approximately 30 minutes of standing outside, associate principal David Ewers stood on the outside window ledge to address students. Students who wished to leave the dance at that time could go inside to gather their items to leave. Students who desired to stay and dance would have to wait until the fire department cleared the fog out of the gym with fans.

“I had never done a dance before in terms of chaperoning so I was nervous,” Ewers said. “Our first priority was that the students were safe. I felt a lot better when I heard that it was all because of the fog machines.”