While Homecoming is renowned for its exciting nature and school spirit, it is nowhere near a perfect event.
One of the biggest critiques among the student body, and a primary reason for not attending, is the fact that mostly only freshmen attend the dance and often leave shortly after it starts. This shift in dynamic has created an atmosphere that many upperclassmen find unappealing and not worth going to.
Attendance at the dance is almost always limited to freshmen. Like many students, junior Jaheim Brooks doesn’t plan to attend for this reason.
Brooks’ opinion reflects a broader perception that the dance has become less of a huge, inclusive event for all grades and more of a lower-level function that lacks appeal and excitement for older students. The ’bandwagon effect’ also plays a part. When upperclassmen observe that their friends are not attending, they are less likely to buy a ticket themselves.
With this being a valid concern, the question that still stands is how we could get more upperclassmen to attend the dance. One potential solution involves changing the dance’s setting and possibly the location to create a more exclusive and memorable experience.
Senior Gabby Scherr attended Homecoming her freshman year, when it was held at the tennis courts and hasn’t th
ought about coming back since. Part of this is because as an enclosed space, the main gym quickly gets boring, cutting the desire to return the following year.
A potential solution would be to hold the dance at a different location. By holding the dance at an off-campus venue, the event could have a more mature and exciting nature surrounding it, separating it from the daily routine of school life, which seems to be the biggest critique.
Despite these concerns, there are still some aspects that bring excitement to Homecoming. Every year, the school provides food and really cool decorations to make the cafeteria special; however, it just is not enough for most students.
Homecoming isn’t just the school dance, many students look forward to getting ready with their friends, taking pictures in DC, going to dinner and hanging out afterwards. The shift in focus from the actual dance to the little details surrounding the dance shows how there needs to be a way to make the actual dance more appealing, just like the activities and events surrounding the night.
