Historically, Homecoming is an American tradition rooted around raising school spirit. The football game, the decorations, the spirit dress up days, the winners of homecoming court all add up to the final dance meant to celebrate the “coming home” game.

In Lenape history and really most high schools in the area, the homecoming dance has lost it’s charm as we move farther away from the beginning of the tradition.  But since it is tradition, it’s still held each and every year.

Freshmen usually attend with bright eyes and excitement to dress up and dance with their friends. But as the years go on, people tend to miss the homecoming dance without a second thought, myself included. Other things just came up that seemed more appealing than a school dance. However, entering my senior year I promised myself, as many people do, to take the opportunity to attend as many school events as I could being that this is my last year in high school.

This meant attending the homecoming dance as well. Taking pictures prior to the dance and getting ready was definitely fun and took me back to the excitement I felt before my first homecoming dance. Arriving to the dance and walking through the decorated halls was nice as was greeting friends and commenting on each other’s dresses of the night. As my friends and I entered the darkly lit gym, we didn’t quite know what to do with ourselves. A bit too old to be as excited as the freshmen yet not old enough to be out of high school, we all seemed to be in this weird limbo because we saw past the decorations and loud music, not in any superior way just in one that makes it all lose it’s luster. It was kind of sad, honestly.

But as my friends and I realized this would be the last time we would be packed like sardines in a sweaty gym with a mediocre DJ and free food, we took advantage of that and still had some fun. I mean there are only so many times it will be acceptable to kick off your heels and dance around barefoot in public so why not take the opportunity while it’s still there.