Homecoming is an annual tradition at many schools across the country, including our own. Composed of a dance, game, and parade this tradition occurs over the span of a week with the focal point being the dance. With most students choosing to attend, it is easily the highlight of the fall semester; however, many students voluntarily choose to attend and purchase tickets while simultaneously making disparaging remarks about the dance.
If you choose to financially support and attend the dance, don’t complain about it. If you don’t like the music played, your feet hurt, or you hate wearing dresses, remember you are given opportunities to request songs and you don’t have to wear heels or a dress. Negativity not only brings down your personal experience, but also limits the fun of those around you.
Going into homecoming with a negative attitude has no benefits. Homecoming happens once a year, and for half of the school it’s the only dance they are able to attend. Choosing to say nothing rather than negative remarks helps keep this an exciting environment and bring up the morale of the dance.
It is important to acknowledge that many students are forced by friends or family to attend or wear certain clothing. However, one could argue that if you have to be here anyway- why not make the most of your experience? Complaining and spreading negativity only magnifies the resentment you feel and ruins other experiences. Choosing to give the dance a chance not only benefits your experience, but also that of those around you.
If you truly dislike the homecoming dance, a solution would be to use your input to change it for the better. Join a student-led organization like student council who plans the dance and use your opinions to improve it for others. Use the flyers around the school to submit music recommendations for the DJ and make your voice heard.
All in all, unless you have honestly tried to improve the dance, don’t attend and then complain about it. There are over 2500 students to satisfy and not everything will be perfectly to your liking; however, the focus should be on keeping the culture positive and uplifting. If you choose to be here, choose to make it positive.
