By: Brandon Ford

Homecoming, to many students, is an occasion that they look forward to.  It’s a time for them to let loose, hang out with friends, and enjoy themselves, along with dancing on the dance floor with their friends and/or their significant other.  After that, most, if not all, end up going to an after party, which ends up being to some, the highlight of the night.  Homecoming week in itself is an experience, with the wacky costumes, face paint, school spirit, Powder Puff, and the homecoming game being the most notable events that take place on this week.  This week climaxes on a Saturday night with the homecoming dance and has the possibility to be an experience that some will never forget.

                However, for one reason or another, many students miss out on this experience.  It could be because they had prior arrangements.  Another reason could be that they just didn’t want to go because A) they didn’t feel like it or B) they felt it would be, as Junior Tatiana Peterson so eloquently put it, “lame.”  Another valid reason for missing out on such a historic event would be to stay at home and watch the Pac 12 showdown between Arizona State and Oregon, just like yours truly chose to do.  Regardless of the reason, many students chose not to go and do something else, and in turn, rejected homecoming.

 While we mentioned prior engagements in the previous paragraph, that is exactly why senior Brandon Kemp didn’t go to his final homecoming.  “I didn’t go to homecoming because I went to the Zac Brown Band concert instead,” Kemp said.

Another person who rejected homecoming was senior Gene Kelley.  His reason was a little different compared to others, but valid nevertheless.  “I had a better and more productive way to spend twenty five dollars,” Kelley said.  “Instead of going to homecoming, I decided to go to Vapiana with my girlfriend to delight ourselves in exquisite Italian dining.”

 A third reason why some people reject homecoming is because they simply don’t enjoy school dances, which was the case with senior Brad Schreiber.  “I didn’t go because it just didn’t appeal to me,” Schreiber said.  “I’ve never understood why people enjoy it so much; I’d rather spend the night taking my girlfriend out and having fun. Even though I’ve dodged all high school dances so far, my girlfriend is making me go to prom, so we’ll see how that turns out.”

  In the end, there are many reasons why people decided to skip homecoming this year.  Prior engagements played a role in this, as did apathy and not enjoying high school dances as much as other people.  Homecoming though, to many people, is a big deal, and the entire week is an opportunity for them to show off their school spirit and enjoy themselves.  It’s safe to say that homecoming is tradition that is enjoyed by many people every year and is here to stay.