Just as the beat is about to drop, Homecoming disc jockey Joey Latka shouts into the microphone, “Make some noise!”

At first, the students look around the dance floor and attempt to figure out where that shouting is coming from. Once the music picks up, the confusion withers away, and the students start dancing again.

“I feel like the moment right before the beat drops is the part that’s priceless [because] of the response from the kids after I holler in the mic,” Latka said.

Latka is one of two DJs playing music at Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 8 p.m. As a DJ, one of his goals is for everyone to leave Homecoming happy about the music he played.

“I just want to make sure that the kids have a good time,” Latka said. “I’ve been making sure that they’re dancing as much as possible [to the point to] where they’re leaving the dance and they can barely walk. That is my goal.”

To do this, Latka is very particular about the songs he plays. Although Westside gives him a file of songs, he does his best to work with the songs he is given.

“I can’t just take that list and start playing,” Latka said. “I’ve got to dissect it. I got to figure the best

transitions because I want the energy layer up, and that’s where my hands are kind of tied because the energy

level can only get so high…I’ll work with what I got, and I’ll make the best of it.”

When Latka was younger, he did not appreciate the art of playing music. He thought a DJ would only press play, and he disrespected that job because of that.

“Before I became a DJ, I thought DJs hit play and they acted like they were doing something when they really weren’t doing anything,” Latka said. “When I became a DJ, I saw how much went into it, and I saw how only a certain type of person can [be a good master of ceremonies.]”

Latka now tries to create a perfect performance each time he plays music at an event. He tries to put himself in the kids’ shoes, and also reads the crowd to decide what music to play. Although Westside is the biggest school he will have ever been a DJ for, he hopes that the kids will have as much fun as they can.