Homecoming has been a hallmark of highschool entertainment for decades, giving students the excuse to dress up and have a fun night all together without having to worry about academics. This year for homecoming was no different, with students of Marriott Ridge coming to the school at 7pm to enjoy a night of festivities, including a DJ in the gym, corn hole, Jenga and a photo booth in The Commons.
However, the main reason students pay for the admissions ticket is to either meet up with friends who are also going or because they are bringing a date to go along with. “[The thing I enjoyed most about homecoming] was seeing my friends and having a great time with everybody,” says senior Adrian Pinos, “just seeing everyone dressed up and all having a good time together is the highlight of it.”
Homecoming is a way to reconnect with people who students may not have the time to hang out with every day and get to know people they wouldn’t have otherwise. Rarely is there a better chance to meet as many people during homecoming and have the opportunity to connect with all of them at the same time.
“Although I definitely enjoy going to the afterparty more, I mostly go to homecoming because it’s just fun to see all the people I know from school mingling and socializing,” senior Elliot Nero states. But, unlike what the long-standing tradition of needing to bring a date to Homecoming to fully enjoy it implies, it couldn’t be any less true for highschoolers today. Nowadays, the overwhelming majority of students, especially upperclassmen, opt to go well-dressed with a select group of friends, and instead try and take a date to a more formal event such as Prom.
“I didn’t end up bringing a date to Homecoming, but you don’t really need to do that to fully experience what it has to offer.” Nero asserts, “Just going with a couple of friends is more than enough to unwind and enjoy yourself.”
Regardless of whether or not students have anyone to bring along to homecoming, the dance is still an experience everyone should take the time to experience at least once during their high school life.
“I think Homecoming is something that you should go even if you don’t have a date or friends to go with,” senior Noble Kim assures, “It’s one of the few experiences that high school offers to students that you can’t really have anywhere else. And even if you don’t think you’ll end up liking it, the tickets are only $20.”
Highschool is the best time in a student’s life to branch out and discover what they like to do, and homecoming is a unique occasion that only comes once a year to do so.