As each school year begins, the homecoming celebration ensues. From the first week of school, student council is busily planning a dance, parade, pep rally and spirit week. In addition, the fall sports teams and clubs begin designing their floats. Although some students get very excited with the theme and activities incorporated into homecoming, the general attitude in the school is negative.

In movies, getting asked to homecoming is viewed as a major stepping stone of being in high school. However, at U. City, the general opinion is that nobody cares. There never seem to be over-the-top, passionate ideas to ask someone as a date or  to plan to make the dance unforgettable.

The pep rally is always repetitive and the majority of the student body does not participate in spirit week. Wacky tacky day is one of the only spirit days that inspires students to participate. The dance is normally viewed as an underclassmen event that not many seniors or juniors attend, not to mention that the dance is always quite poorly decorated with the theme. Along with those complaints are the quality and quantity of the “food” that is provided at homecoming—chips and water, most of which runs out before half the attendees make their way to it.

So why do we have homecoming? Besides the few people that look forward to it every year, homecoming is much appreciated by alumni. It has been a tradition at not only U. City, but at many high schools and colleges all over the United States. But if it is a tradition carried on for over a hundred years, why doesn’t student council try harder to make it more fun for the students?

“It’s ratchet,” said junior Rebekah Lyons. “I went to the dance last year and I did not like it. The music blasts too loud and there’s not much variety in the music; then people get too shy to dance, and the lighting is awkward.”

Some suggest that having a live band at the dance would be a better alternative to a DJ who plays songs no one cares to hear. Others say that having better quality food, even if it raises the price of the ticket, would make attending the dance more appealing. If the theme was followed better—which could happen with better advertising—students say they would be more interested in going to the dance. Other entertainment at the dance such as a photo booth or being able to add a favorite song to a playlist for the DJ are ideas that student say they would enjoy.

Students recognize the hard work that goes into the dance but wish that it was focused in other areas that would make homecoming more fun.