Homecoming is a staple of the back to school season.

Practically everyone has a part of the tradition that they eagerly wait for, whether it be spirit week, the football game, or the dance on Saturday to wrap the entire week up. This year’s discussion about the dance has been different, though. While the buzz of dresses and dates is familiar, I’ve also heard lots of discussions about how the dance is in the gym this year instead of the football field. Most are relieved. The harsh stadium lights and vastness of the football created an environment that, for most, wasn’t very dance-like. However, what made the event feel nothing like a dance to me was the complete lack of just that: dancing.

To arrive at my first homecoming and just find everyone standing around was a bit of a downer, to say the least.

It wasn’t anything like I’d imagined, and the drastically low energy levels confused me. If no one wants to dance, why do they show up to a dance?

While I don’t know everyone’s reason, I can guess that a lot of people stayed still out of fear. Obviously, I can sympathize with this. It’s human nature to want to stick with the crowd. There’s a sense of security in acting like everyone else. So, when nobody’s dancing, no one wants to be the one to start it. With the stadium lights shining straight on you, you were on full display for everyone around you. Sticking out like that gave people a great reason

to judge you. No one wants to be judged, so no one does anything.

But this mindset undermines the whole point of the homecoming festivities: to enjoy yourself! From student council to school administrators, the people who put in the work to make homecoming come to life do it so that people can have a good time. So please, if you choose to go to homecoming this year, make that your top priority. Who cares if you don’t know how to dance or you sing off key to your favorite song? Everyone else is too focused on themselves anyway.

If this sounds miserable to you, you don’t have to come. It’s okay to skip a dance if it doesn’t appeal to you, even if the dressing up does. Outfits are a main motivation for a lot of people to attend, but there’s no rule saying that school dance’s are the only time of the year you can wear a dress or tie. You can dress however you want whenever you want. Like I said, you don’t always have to do what everyone else is doing. I understand that this is a lot easier said than done. Even if that just starts with dancing at homecoming.