DECA created a specific theme for the Sadie Hawkins dance in hopes to increase the number of students attending the dance.

In addition to endorsing the theme of “Gettin’ Spooky With It,” the chapter promoted a spirit week where students and faculty followed the corresponding dress codes for Sadie’s week.

Unfortunately attendance rates were down from last year DECA adviser Sophia Ross said.

She added the attendance rate diminished about 50 percent, from approximately 195 students at last year’s dance to 93 this year.

“I don’t really think we can improve the dance in any way, shape or form. I think we do a great job with the execution and letting people know we exist,” Ross said.

“It’s just whether or not people want to go or not and about what people are into,” she said.

Although the crowd was smaller than usual, the energy did not dwindle throughout the night, Ross said.

“The freshman and sophomores had a really good time,” Ross said. “When they left they said ‘thank you so much, this was a lot of fun.’”

The dance included a candy buffet, finger-foods, a mummy-wrap contest, a costume contest, a photo booth and a student-created music playlist. Ross said she noticed positive reactions from the students.

“I think everybody who came had a really good time. It was a pleasant dance. It was really clean and enjoyable,” Ross said.

Senior officer Monique Best hopes in the following years, DECA participants will fundraise and promote the dance more.

“I think through the past years since we haven’t done what we did this year, all the grades have been pretty disappointed or they just got tired of it for a while,” Best said.

Akhila Murthy, senior officer, said low attendance will not have a major affect on DECA’s budget.

“I know that we did lose money, but overall we are not losing too much,” Murthy said. “We have upcoming fundraisers, [they] usually make up for it.”