The music blares as people shuffle around the dance floor in their steamed suits and short, bright dresses. At most high schools, students prepare weeks in advance for their homecoming dance, buying fresh clothes and gathering the courage to ask out their dates. Fluttering lashes, styled outfits and gnawing anticipation all make homecoming special, so why should Menlo deprive its students of the chance to formally celebrate?
For underclassmen, Menlo’s Semi-Formal dance, known as Semi, is pretty much the only time of the year they can dress up, find dates and dance until their feet hurt.
“Especially as being an underclassman, I was kind of disappointed because we only had one semi-formal dance, which was like the winter formal, but now as an upperclassman, I feel like it’s kind of fine because we also have prom,” junior Mila Pineda said.
Without homecoming, having only one major dance of the year can make underclassmen really want to go all out for it. Suddenly, the Semi dance is elevated, and you can imagine the disappointment that an underclassman would feel if they had to miss it. In my freshman year, that was a reality. When I missed Semi, it felt like I missed more than a dance. I missed my only shot as a freshman that year to build core high school memories with my friends at a formal dance.
While the homecoming hype is real, and the float building and spirit week themes really elevate the mood, dressing up would really take it to the next level.
“[The school is] spending so much money and making all these like elaborate designs, decorations, music, where I think it’s a waste almost that people don’t get to dress up [during homecoming],” junior Camila Iniguez said.
No matter what dance, the school keeps the environment basically the same. From the lights to the DJ to the venue, it really would not be hard for Menlo to declare homecoming as a formal dance. All students would need to do is dress up, and Menlo should be allowing them to do so.
Usually, students enjoy prepping weeks, or in some cases even months in advance, for formal dances. From picking out clothes to designing a poster to ask out dates, the larger the dance, the more effort students put into it.
I understand that homecoming’s casual nature is meant to reduce pressure and give more meaning to the other formal dances — or, in the underclassmen’s case, dance — of the year, and overall keep it simple. What the school has not accounted for, however, is that students enjoy preparing for dances. If they found it a burden, then they would not put in so much voluntary effort towards preparing.
Giving students another opportunity to attend a formal dance would add more magic to the high school years. Adorning a suit or dress is like creating a temporary identity — you’re no longer a stressed out student, but royalty ready to let loose. Homecoming should be formal, not only so that underclassmen have another major dance, but so that all students have the chance to build as many memories as possible.
