Haunted by the memory of last year’s cramped dance floor and insufficient number of chairs, many students are opting to skip the homecoming dance. Those who choose to go are faced with high ticket prices, and the majority of the crowd leaves the dance in favor of afterparties earlier than halfway through. This presents a question–is it worth going to homecoming?

Homecoming is a widespread tradition, and it looks different at every school. The event spreads much wider than the dance, and many students who aren’t going are still taking part in events before and after.

Some students are doing pictures, dinner, and afterparties with their friends, but they are skipping the dance itself. With ticket prices at $50, these students are saving money while still enjoying every other aspect of homecoming.

“It’s a mix of ticket prices and my friends skipping.” said Olivia Adams, a junior who is not attending homecoming. “I’m getting dinner with a friend and then going to an afterparty.”

Other students are skipping simply because they do not enjoy the environment of a large dance.

“It’s too loud.” said Evan Kim, sophomore, who is also skipping homecoming. “I’m just going to rest at home [and] probably take a nap.”

A large factor in many students skipping this year’s dance is their recollection of the dance last year.

When asked for his opinion on homecoming last year, Evan Kim said, “It was too loud, and the music taste was awful.”

“I didn’t really find it that fun. I only stayed for an hour.” said Adams.

However, many students are still choosing to be a part of this much-anticipated event.

“I’m going with my friends […] I heard it’s really fun,” said Emily Arnold, freshman. “I’m most looking forward to seeing my friends.”

Westminster alumna Nyah Kim, who graduated in 2023, went to homecoming all four years of high school.

“I always went with my friends […] Even if the dance itself didn’t end up being as fun as we wanted, we still had fun hanging out together,” said Nyah Kim.

Though they may be four years apart, Nyah Kim and Arnold agreed on the best part of homecoming.

“I’m most looking forward to seeing my friends,” said Arnold. “I’m having a sleepover and movie marathon after.”

“We always took pictures at a park and then went to dinner before. Afterwards, we would sometimes go to after parties, but [we would] usually just hang out with each other, getting food or something,” said Nyah Kim.

Although ticket prices may be high and many students were unhappy with the environment of last year’s homecoming dance, it is still a popular event and a great opportunity to spend time with friends doing something fun. While some students would rather catch up on sleep, some who are not going to the dance are still taking advantage of the event to do something special and have fun.

Homecoming is so much more than just the dance, and every student can be a part of the festivities. Sometimes the most fun events are before and after the dance, but it’s still a long-standing tradition at many high schools, and the memories you make before, during, and after will be with you long after you hang up your suit or dress.