A student’s decision to attend the homecoming dance or not is usually determined by whether they think the dance ticket prices are worth the cost and experience. Homecoming dances are a fun tradition in many high schools that happens at the beginning of the first semester of every school year. The semi-formal dance follows after the school spirit week and homecoming football game.
Aliso Niguel High School’s homecoming dance for the 2023-2024 school year was held on Oct. 7 on school grounds.
Ticket prices start at $50 with an ASB card and $60 without it. The price for both with and without an ASB card increases by $10 each week until the week of homecoming. The price goes up to $95 the week of homecoming.
With these ticket prices, if students want to save money, they have to quickly decide whether or not they want to attend homecoming and purchase accordingly. Some students prefer not to go because they deem the event as overpriced and overhyped, while others go throughout all four years of their high school enrollment. There are also students that wait until they are upperclassmen, and go as a way to enjoy their last years of high school.
ASB Treasurer Jayme Chen (12) says, “I think homecoming is definitely worth it because it’s a really fun experience.” They also added, “I definitely think homecoming is worth going to, because it’s a dance in high school, you only get four opportunities in your life, and of course in senior year it feels even more mandatory to attend.”
For many attendees, the homecoming dance festivities begin hours prior to the actual dance event. Plenty of students group up with their friends after getting dressed up in their attire, and usually go to parks, beaches, gardens and other scenic areas around town. They take photos and eat dinner together as a fun activity before the dance.
The homecoming experience varies from student to student depending on the activities they choose to do before the dance. For some students, they might even prefer the pre-dance activities more than the dance itself. The traditions students do outside of the homecoming dance along with the activities planned at school is what makes homecoming truly a memorable experience and worth the pricey ticket.
The main reason why some students choose not to attend homecoming is because of the price. Some students might change their mind and they want to attend homecoming, but because of the weekly increase in the ticket price, they decide not to go after all. Other students decide not to attend every year because they think homecoming is usually the same thing every year, and only go one or two years for the experience.
Nola Letran (12) says, “I think for school dances, the tickets can be a little pricey, especially compared to other schools. I think people go for the experience and it is only worth going twice, not worth going all four years.”
Homecoming definitely gives students a chance to socialize and have an enjoyable time at school. Instead of only focusing on academics, homecoming welcomes a sense of togetherness, as students get the chance to bond over these events.
