Fall Homecoming is one of the larger events to take place at the beginning of the school year. Many in the student body look forward to dressing up during the spirit week directly before Homecoming as anticipation for the big game and dance grows. After crowning the Homecoming royalty and the football game comes to an end, the Fall Homecoming Dance is held. While high school dances are often synonymous with large crowds, as is during Prom and Sweetheart, the Homecoming Dance lacks a sizable attendance.
The Homecoming Dance is put together by Gibson Southern’s Student Council. STUCO members choose the theme of the dance, the decorations and what type of refreshments will be there. This dance is mainly targeted towards underclassmen to give them something they can do to socialize with one another. Upperclassmen often find other activities to attend after the big game. Since this dance falls directly after the football game, there are few frills from those who participate in it.
“By tradition, it (the Fall Homecoming Dance) has always been informal,” Student Council Advisor Ian Gamroth said.
The idea behind an informal dance is that it will draw more students to attend.
“Having something more casual can be more inviting for people,” said senior Olivia Cox, Student Council Vice President.
According to Cox, an informal dance can give younger students a chance to get to know each other, while a formal dance might scare people away. This is especially because of the commitment that comes with a large, formal dance. With a small dance directly after a football game, students do not have to worry about how they look; it is just something to do and an opportunity to hang out with friends after the game.
“People go to the football game, and then they watch court [crowning] and then they hear about this dance and they want to go,” Cox said.
It is convenient for students to attend the dance since they are already there. This is an important aspect for those who cannot drive, as planning a dance to follow on the next day might not be as ideal.
“To draw people to the school specifically for that reason would be hard,” Cox said.
With the dance being only three dollars to get into, it is something affordable and easy to attend.
The school already has two formal dances, so adding another one could cost a lot. There is already a Prom and the Sweetheart Dance and a lot of expenses go into those. Sponsoring a more casual dance lets people still have fun and dance without the school having to spend a lot of money.
“It can be really expensive for the school and the people individually,” said senior Allison Spindler, Student Council President. “Girls might have to buy two dresses, and get their hair and makeup done. Even for the guys, having to buy tuxes, it can be very expensive.”
According to Spindler, funding is the issue that limits the Fall Homecoming Dance. The Student Council is responsible for raising the funds it needs to create the dance atmosphere and recoup costs from organizing the entire Homecoming ceremony. As with all groups, if there was more money for the dance, there is more the Student Council could do in the casual environment.
Even if there was more funding, Homecoming would be kept informal. They might do more decorations and food, but the environment would not change much.
Despite the opinion that a formal Homecoming Dance would be cost prohibitive for students, there is interest in changing what Titans currently have. According to a survey sent out to the student body, around 63% of students would like to have a more formal Homecoming event. If it was formal, 79% of people responding said they would attend the dance.
“I think that having a formal Homecoming dance will make the dance more classy and attract more upperclassmen,” junior Denver Clark said. “As it stands right now, the Homecoming dance is just an informal dance to go to with friends, but if we made it more formal, people would be able to get dates, pick out their clothes, maybe slow dance a bit and have a better experience overall.”
