Every girl dreams of being Cinderella. The gorgeous gown, perfect hair, glass slippers and overall flawlessness. She goes to the ball and is swept off her feet by Prince Charming and they live happily ever after. It’s the perfect story. But no one seems to pay attention to the part about how she got there.
Cinderella’s story is, without a doubt, a struggle. She has to transform herself from an above-average peasant into an extraordinarily elegant goddess. With the help of her fairy godmother and animal friends, she manages to get the job done. Good for her.
But I’m no Cinderella. I don’t have a fairy godmother nor do I surround myself with small animals, expert in hair and makeup. I’m just your average peasant. And personally, I think formal homecoming is a horrible idea.
In the past, Homecoming has always been a casual affair. From Greek to Harry Potter, the themes were lighthearted, laid-back and informal — that’s what I loved about it.
Unlike other school dances, Homecoming provided me with a chance to dress up without dressing up. The night before, I could whip up a costume fitting the theme with whatever I found laying around in my closet, throw my hair up, slap some makeup on my face and be done. It was easy, breezy, beautiful.
But formal Homecoming is a whole new ball game. I have to think about everything way in advance. I have to find a dress, find shoes to go with that dress, find jewelry to go with those shoes, figure out how to do my makeup to compliment that jewelry and think about how to do my hair to show off my makeup. Everything is heightened — especially the stress.
What also bugs me is that I might actually have to buy more than just a ticket to go to this year’s Homecoming. ASB is asserting the right to deny admission to anyone who isn’t dressed up enough. So I can’t just wrap a bed sheet around my body and call it a day, I have to go out and buy a dress. Because I don’t plan on wearing a floor-length gown to this event, people will most likely see my feet, meaning I will have to buy a pair of socially acceptable shoes as well.
Then, on the day of, I have to spend time doing my hair and makeup. That may not cost me anything in terms of cash — but there’s something there that Ms. Kashani likes to call “opportunity cost.”
Another big question on everyone’s mind is whether or not to bring a date. The fact that it’s formal adds a whole other level of complication. ASB has left it to the discretion of student to decide whether or not they want to bring a date. In the past, Homecoming has been a casual event attended in groups of friends. Formal events usually imply having a companion at your side and I’m not trying to relive my Winter Ball struggle to find Prince Charming.
According to ASB, the new approach to Homecoming is result of student demand as well as an effort to boost attendance. Props to ASB for deciding to move Homecoming to a new location — the gym sucked. But making it formal was definitely an extra, unnecessary measure. While it may boost attendance, it doesn’t mean we aren’t losing anything.
Casual homecoming plays a much larger role in the grand scheme of things than people might think. Having an informal Homecoming creates a sort of anticipation that makes formal events like Winter Ball and prom so much more special. I looked forward to Winter Ball last year because after two years of waiting, I finally got to live out my high school dream and go to a dance in a pretty dress and high heels. To me, it was a fairytale.
One of the things that set upperclassmen apart from underclassmen was that we got to attend formal dances. Reserving formal events for juniors and seniors made them sacred. They served as a celebration of our seniority and a reward for making it that far. It felt earned. However now that Homecoming is formal, that privilege has become the norm.
People are going to tell me that I’m overthinking it. But let’s be honest, most of you thinking the exact same thing. The truth is that the word “formal” comes with an underlying understanding of showing off your most glamorous self. People will be going all-out for this event — and I don’t want to be the stepsister in the corner who make the effort.
Another solution that people might suggest is obvious: just don’t go. H-E-double-hockey-sticks no. This is my senior year and you better bet I am planning on going to every single school event and taking every last opportunity to soak in my last glorious moments of high school.
Ultimately, I think having a formal homecoming is a big mistake. It has suddenly become more stressful and complicated, all because it has turned into a formal dance. I have no idea what to expect and it scares me.
It’s my last year here and one of the things I was looking forward to the most was going to a fun-themed, laid-back homecoming and having a good time with my friends. I didn’t want to buy a dress or do my hair. I just wanted to throw on a T-shirt and have a fun night.
Bring back casual homecoming. I don’t want to be Cinderella — save the fancy dress and high heels for Winter Ball and prom. All I want right now is a reason to dress up like Dumbledore and dance the night away in a room full of wizards
