For the last few years, students around the country have enjoyed dancing under the stars at their homecomings, but this year at DGS there will be a roof over the dance.
Director of Student Activities Jennifer Martinez is the one responsible for planning homecoming every year. For this school year, she has made a lot of changes to what the “norm” of homecoming has been for the last few years. Some students have questioned these decisions.
“We are inside this year because our dance is taking place on Oct. 21, and that could be a cold and rainy day, so we want to make sure that the plans that we create are going to be solid, and that we have a plan in which we can welcome everybody to have the best experience that they can possibly have,” Martinez said.
Going along with the change in location this year, homecoming was also pushed back to a much later date. Due to the high number of home football games DGS had earlier on this season, students believe that the dance could have been lined up for an earlier weekend this school year.
“Homecoming is always associated or scheduled around the football schedule. As you know, we have many home games this year, but in addition to just having home games, you have to consider the broader school calendar,” Martinez said.
According to the Omella, an online blog, homecoming was created in the early 1900s for colleges. It was later adopted by high schools across the country in the early 1920s, where dress up days and football games became included in the week-long celebration leading up to the dance.
Martinez elaborates that it’s a cultural American tradition to associate the homecoming dance with football. Despite our large number of early home games this school year, there are other events that occur in the school that restricted homecoming from being earlier.
Many students though are still not happy with the decision about homecoming being pushed back this year. Senior Angela Olczyk who has attended two prior DGS homecomings shares her thoughts on the changes this year.
“All the homecomings I have gone to have been outside. I have really enjoyed them and especially all the unique things that come with it, so it will definitely be a change having the dance indoors, but I am not opposed to the idea completely. I just hope that it is still an enjoyable night,” Olczyk said.
Martinez is aware of the disappointment some DGS students have about the changes with the dance, but she is trying to implement features of the homecomings that occurred outside into this year’s indoor dance in hopes of pleasing more students.
“Something in progress right now is to be able to have fireworks at our homecoming game, so that we can have fireworks at the halftime show. That way we are not losing that fun aspect that was brought into having a dance outside,” Martinez said.
“I think everybody will be just fine having it inside, it’s going to be a great evening,” Martinez said.
You can get your ticket to the 2023 Barbie-themed homecoming starting Oct. 13 for $35 through 5 Star, the online website.
