A highlight in one’s high school experience is Homecoming, and Arcadia High School’s Homecoming is near! Announced by ASB, Hoco 2021 is on Oct. 2, from 7:00-11:00 p.m. at the Petersen Automotive Museum, with the theme of Chasing Sunsets. Every year, there is debate on whether or not to go. Personally, I don’t think going to Homecoming every year is essential, because it’s costly and not as important as it is made out to be.

Since tickets start at $55 and increase all the way to $100, money is a significant factor in my decision. Spending more than $50 on a mere dance that I have four opportunities to attend is an irresponsible way to handle my finances. Especially for underclassmen, going to Homecoming more than once isn’t the best idea. Many other people have raised concerns about the pricing as well. As a high school student, there will be four Homecomings to attend, and I find paying for and attending all of them to be a waste of time and money. 

“I don’t want to go because I can spend my money on other things,” said sophomore Hailey Tam.

Furthermore, Homecoming is basically the same dance every year, so the idea of going once in my high school career is enough. As a sophomore, I have yet to go, but I plan on going junior year. I feel that going once will make the experience much more memorable. Attending multiple times takes away from the high school experience, which is why Homecoming really is not worth it. If an event is attended, again and again, the excitement and nervousness fade away. It gets old, seeming more like any other school occurrence. All there is to do is dance, eat food, and socialize.

Likewise, Homecoming is only targeted towards a specific group of people—people who have large groups of friends who enjoy social outings. A majority of the student body thinks of it as a nuisance. If anything, prom outshines Homecoming way more. From all the comments I’ve gotten from upperclassmen, most agree that Homecoming is overrated.

“I’m not going because I plan to go senior year. And there’s really no point in going if you don’t have a date,” said junior Terry Cheung. 

Homecoming is an event that is intended to unite our student population, but people tend to stick with their own groups. There is also voting for royalty, which further divides our supposed unity. This is totally contradictory, as it enforces the clique stereotypes of high school. 

In addition, this dance is a whole source of stress—to the boys who are pressured to ask a girl out, and the girls who are pressured to look their best. Of course, it doesn’t have to be this way, but thanks to societal expectations, it’s difficult to stray from.  

Finally, with fairly unsupervised teens in a fancy venue, attending Homecoming comes with a long list of risks. Especially since we are stil amidst the pandemic, COVID-19 is a significant risk. From engaging in illegal or questionable activities to exhibiting behavior that could damage one’s future, there are also potential dangers to a student’s wellbeing, resulting from poor decision-making or peer pressure. In addition, the venue is a long drive from Arcadia. Inexperienced teen drivers would have to drive themselves to Homecoming, which is dangerous when they don’t have much confidence on the road, or if they’ve been partying. As a result, students will either have to drive, spend more money on transportation, or inconvenience their parents. 

Attending this annual event is too expensive for me to enjoy, and the cons outweigh the pros indefinitely. From the tedious process of merely attending a dance to how mentally and physically taxing it is, Homecoming’s relevance is exaggerated. Perhaps, if the tickets were cheaper, or if the venues were closer, it would be more appealing. Promoting attendance without a date, or emphasizing the importance of simply enjoying oneself would improve the idea of Homecoming. In summation, all of these factors are the reasons why I will not be going to Homecoming this year.

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