When CHS students think of its annual fall festivities, two main events usually come to mind: Cougar Weekend and Homecoming. As someone who does not regularly follow sports, Cougar Weekend is still somewhat of a mystery to me. Homecoming, though, is something that I know all too well. From picture-perfect Instagram posts to those flawless TikTok homecoming transitions, it’s easy to imagine Homecoming as a sparkling and cinematic experience. We’ve all grown up on those classic 2000s movies where Homecoming is portrayed as this sparkling and romanticized once-in-a-lifetime night. But as a junior who has attended the ever-loved fall tradition since my freshman year, I’ve realized that sometimes, it’s not the event itself we’re excited for—it’s merely the idea of it.
Getting ready for homecoming might honestly be the best part of the night. There’s something about the chaos before the dance, with everyone rushing around in sparkling dresses and suits, hair straighteners plugged into every outlet, music blasting while someone struggles with their eyeliner. The excitement feels real. You take photos that make it look like you’re about to have the night of your life.
And then you actually get to the dance.
Once you step into the gym, an aroma of sweat greets your nostrils. The lights are either too bright or too dark, depending on where you’re standing. The DJ plays the same five songs everyone’s heard a thousand times. You try to dance, but it’s hard to get into it when there are countless people leaving in and out of the AB gym with someone elbowing you every two seconds. Half the people are standing around talking, the other half are leaving to take “candids” in the hallway. Before you know it, it is not long after that everyone scurries out to leave once the homecoming court is announced.
As I was feeling confined between multiple sweaty bodies in the dark AB gym, music blasting at an uncomfortable decibel level, I wondered what the appeal of Homecoming was.
We crave the chance to dress up, to slip into extravagant suits, embellished dresses, and painfully high heels all for the thrill of looking a little fancier than usual. But by the end of the night, blazers are rumpled and tossed aside, the makeup has melted due to the humidity of the gym–all that anticipation and glamorization slipping away in less than two hours.
That’s not to say it’s bad. There are nice moments like laughing with your friends, getting a good picture, and maybe one or two songs that actually hit. But for all the hype that builds up to it, homecoming tends to feel more like a long photoshoot followed by a mildly uncomfortable party in a dark and cramped gym. It’s fun in theory, exhausting in practice.
Before I go any further, I’ll admit that I did have a good time at my last Homecoming dance. The days leading up to it were filled with excitement, and spending time with my friends made the whole experience even better. There’s something sweet about the whole thing, like the shared effort to make it special, even when it’s not.
Looking back, I think what made the night enjoyable wasn’t the dance itself, but the people I shared it with. Getting the chance to dress up and step outside the usual routine definitely added to the fun, but it was the laughter and small moments with my friends that truly transformed the night from something forgettable into a memory I’ll actually cherish someday. It is definitely a core high school experience you can share with the people you’re there with, especially as these 4 years fleet by fast.
So yes, homecoming can be fun. Just maybe not for the reasons everyone says it is.