Steinbrenner’s Homecoming Dance has come and passed. For the past month of October, kids all over school have been swarming around, hunting for scraps of fabric that may or may not be a dress. Extroverts, sending rapid fire barrages of texts to all their friends and their mothers with a whole Google Doc of questions about outfits, rides, and plans, while introverts, naturally, spent the last month avoiding said questions. However, aside from choosing which shade of red or green looks best, students faced the dilemma of going to the event with friends or a romantic partner.
It is the subject of the most tame controversy one will ever find; there are many divisive opinions on this matter, and just as many components to match. What do the two have to offer? What are the drawbacks?
Contrary to popular belief, obtaining a date is not reserved to people in a relationship. Asking someone out to a school dance is all a part of the high school experience. The pining, the planning, the blushing- The sacred trinity of social anxiety.
It’s one of the more nerve wracking things to do with a Tuesday afternoon, but it makes for a solidly memorable occasion. Furthermore, asking someone to be your date to Homecoming is a perfect stepping stone out of the friend zone, and in some cases if things go really well, it’s a very fortunate Segway with a fast-pass straight to a High school relationship.
In the words of fellow Steinbrenner student Isabella Bradley, sharing your company with a date on Homecoming makes for a much more “personal experience when you’re vibing with just one person,” and it makes for a certain opportunity to “introduce your partner to meet all your friends.”
But for all its appeals, going to Homecoming with a date is a decent amount of more effort, emotionally and physically, to organize everything, much in contrast to the alternative.
On the other hand, Homecoming with friends is by far the simpler way to go about things as it takes away from the pressures and variables of the big event, making it a much more cavalier occasion. There’s not a particularly large amount of planning or articulation that goes into this and it’s a true no brainer for people who simply don’t enjoy romance.
In any case, it’s the more popular choice as well, being that 75% of students voted that going to Homecoming with friends is the superior option. With all the additional appeals as well- carpooling, getting ready together, and the merry measured in more people- it’s not hard to see why so many are perfectly alright with no partner by their side.
However, there is the fact of no risk, no reward. The lack of intimacy certainly takes away from it all, and one misses out on one of the greatest and most traditional aspects of high school.
There’s no real rhyme or reason to this. Neither is better than the other, and it all depends on priorities and preference. Romance or relaxation; what really matters, is that the night is enjoyable. It’s a very large, very social, and very glamorous event, and either way- it’s best spent with the people or person you care about.
Jaeda Solon // Staff writer
