Homecoming. (High School)
 

Tell me about it, please.

My daughter is a freshman in highschool this year. She is a swimmer. Homecoming is Sep 23rd, dance tickets and shirts are on sale already and will increase in price soon. She's academic, but not a complete nerd. She tends to hang with the "not-completely-slutty-in-crowd" Is this likely to be something she will want to do? She's not into football at all.

I am British, I am clueless. We have no such thing. I know they pick a "big" football game and there's something to do with kings and queens and a dance. I also think that alums are supposed to come back to visit, but as this is a new high school and this is the first year with seniors, that ain't gonna be part of it......

Please enlighten me.

It depends on the culture of the school a bit. For us, the homecoming dance was just one of several dances, and most people didn't bother going. I don't think it was even on the same night as the homecoming football game. Certainly no one except already-dating couples actually "went" to the dance together.

As far as the game, it's generally just like any other football game, except they usually try to pick a team that they're pretty sure they can beat so it'll be a happy ending for everyone. There's this weird tradition of making "mums" before the game which are like humongous fake corsages with 4-foot ribbons hanging off them. They hang them on doors, or on the lockers of the football players. This is usually done only by the cheerleaders, but again, the school culture may vary. Homecoming in general is a much bigger thing down south, so very little of this may apply to you.

The vote for homecoming king and queen was pretty intense at my school, but in the end it's nothing more than a popularity contest, and no one was surprised by the winners. The handful of finalists show up to the football game, stand together down on the field, and the winners are announced, usually at halftime I think. There's nothing more to it than that, they just get a little crown and then they get off the field and the game resumes. A lot of schools do the announcement of the king and queen at the dance instead, for us they knew that no one was going to the dance so they did it at the game instead.

I think she needs to go. It's a major social event. Groups of girls often go together to the prom without dates. I have 2 teenage daughters. The oldest is a senior and the other is a freshman. I couldn't imagine them not going

thanks. hm. They picked another Ann Arbor School who I don't think they'll find easy to beat. This is total posturing........ The school means business this year with their first batch of seniors.

I'm not sure if it's their first homecoming -it might be....

We have homecoming courts with "maids & escorts" from each class. Last year they elected a girl with Downs Syndrome as Homecoming Queen. Quite touching and she had a blast

I never found it interesting, it was really just a pain. I was in band in high school and homecoming means a parade, which the band has to march in. In the afternoon, which means 90-100 degree weather here. In full uniform. Playing the gawd awful fight song over and over and over again. Ugh. Just awful. Then we had to go to the f*ing football game and watch the Barbies and Kens get paraded around. Fuck it all.
FUCK IT ALL!


Seriously though, how the fuck should we know if your kid will want to go? Why don't you just ask her?

calm it, honey.....

she doesn't know either and asked me to ask those who might know what it was all about.

I really really hated homecoming.
She won't know until she goes, that is my guess. It will really kinda depend on her group of friends and the atmosphere of the school on how much fun she'll have.
My advice: if you can spare the money for it, I don't really see any reason for her not to get a shirt, go to the game and the dance (if friends are going). Just don't spend an outrageous amount on a "mum" like people would at my school. They're quite dumb.

Knowing what little I do of Hebe, I'd suspect she won't find anything especially interesting or entertaining about the homecoming events themselves. However, it can be an important social event if her friends are going (and when surrounded by a group of friends, she's likely to have fun herself even if the festivities themselves are a little dumb.) She should ask them how many of them are going.

I think the whole idea that it is a "must-do" thing is kinda silly, like prom. I went when I was a Junior, skipped out after 30minutes, didn't go as a senior. Do not regret missing it. Its all just....overrated. For those who really enjoy that kinda of stuff, great. For those who don't, its just annoying when others are all "....but don't you regret not going?" Or "...but its just so much fun!" No and no. I'm sure she'll have lots of opportunities to make good memories with her friends and come up with their own special rituals/activities.

homecoming & football. is there anything more "American"?

My friends and I went to the homecoming game freshman year. We had no interest in the dance. It's definitely the "also-ran" of high school dances. At least it was at our school.

Booze and sex under the bleachers?

that's the most important part of homecoming!

har.

mtp, you have much baggage. I know you have medical/medication issues right now, but ffs see someone about your current mental state. It ain't healthy.

All of her friends are also freshmen and asking the same questions. The insight is appreciated, thanks. But we don't need to decide until the end of the week, so I think I'll suggest she talks to the older members of the swim team at practice and see how they view it.

I wonder if it might be "more special" than regular homecomings becuase it's the school's first time with a senior/graduating class? Thoughts on that?

The school might throw more effort into it trying to drum up school spirit?
Then again, normally when schools try harder, they just go overboard and it becomes quite lame. Maybe she and her friends could start a homecoming tradition though, since its the school's first year and all. Each year, they dress up as something ridiculous (robots, aliens, Mongols, aborted fetuses) and streak across the football field at an opportune time (such as when the Queen and King are being crowned). Hopefully after they graduate, the lower classes will carry on the tradition. Then they will be legends among high schoolers.
Honestly though, y'all seem to be taking all of this pretty seriously, just seems strange to me. Its not that big of a deal. The only event in high school that REALLY matters, is the post-grad binge party. (I kid, I kid!)


FFs monnie, don't take my cussing so seriously. Its not really "baggage" that I hated most of high school. That is pretty normal.

@sarge, I am happily unAmerican then, since I hate both of those things and think they're overrated trash.

It's bound to be interesting on some level. I'd vote go, especially if the trade off is doing something else that can be done any other time.

Does she have something "better" to be doing?

Ha! I got it! Go to the homecoming dance in costume!

That is it! Decision made. Your kid and friends will go, and they will go in costume!

Gee. I feel like a FREAK. I liked high school. I liked dances. I went to Prom with a senior when I was a freshman. Oh heck, I went to homecoming with another senior when I was a freshman. I just remembered. He passed away years ago, in his 20s. Nice, funny guy.

Back then, us girls wore the fashion of the day: the plaid long skirts with boots and a sweater. We went to dinner beforehand, at a restaurant that was considered 'posh' but really wasn't.

One year me and two of my girlfriends didn't have dates, so we gussied up and went together. My mom thought that was really cool. Nowadays, I know it's the norm for groups of people to go.

I think she should go. It's a great memory, even if you don't have fun it will certainly give you something to bitch about years down the road. ;)

I think more people should lighten up during HS, and enjoy it. You know, don't pretend they're just too cool for school. Then they might not be so damn bitter years later. :rolleyes:

Hebe seems to be a well-rounded individual. Tell her I said to go and enjoy it! :)

Why not go?

This about all I know from Homecoming:

hehehe.

Apparently there's a parade too.

She's kinda nervous because it's all new and big and she doesn't really know anyone yet. it seems daft to have to decide before school even starts. I understand they want numbers and money early but still.....

So they are getting you to decide ahead of time by offering a discount? If she's not sure now, but ends up wanting to go later, is the additional cost the problem?

If she has friends that are going with her, then I'd say go for it.

right. money and availability. which seems a bit odd too -they say there's no guarantee of tickets later. But the price more than doubles really putting it in the unnecessary expenditure bracket. Shoestring budget time still. We already decided no yearbook -another one that's cheaper if you pay now -$50 instead of $75!

Wow. I don't think things were as expensive when I was in school, not even relatively speaking. Maybe my parents had a different view of that, though.

I hope she goes.

I went to Homecoming 3 of 4 years, I think...never had a date, but always went with a group of friends, and usually had fun. I do believe there was alcohol consumption involved in a couple of the years, but you did not hear that from me.

Never went to any of the football games, at least the Homecoming ones. Wasn't interested. But you know, if I had HS to do over again, I'd probably get more involved.

If her friends are undecided as well than I would suggest her and her friends make a group decision whether to go or not. To help that decision, try to see if her friends are the type that can have fun together no matter what everyone else is doing.

To get down to it, homecoming dances are purely social events and people usually go with dates, a group of friends, or some combination of friends and dates. In some schools, it is more date heavy, in other schools, it is more group of friends heavy. If her and her friends make a group decision to go and it is date heavy, and they can still have fun, then why not go. If they are more insecure, then it probably won't be a lot of fun, especially if they are insecure about not having boyfriends/dates. If her and her friends make a group decision not to go and later find out they would have fun, then they have three more chances...

thanks.

She should go with a whole Gaggle of friends ,
Safety in numbers
Fire team Formations

I had a high school boyfriend and our friends wanted us to go, but I didn't want to go and so we didn't. I am not sure why. I think I was too much in love if that makes sense. We were together for years. We probably would have married if I hadn't went to college and told him we should date other people for a while. That's beside the point. What this thread really reminded me of was, I took my mother to her annual reunion the year after last.She was homecoming queen for her high school. Of the photos I have seen in her she was beautiful and in full regalia.
During her reunion year after last, I got a whole new perspective of her when all she has to do it sit and watch the people flutter about her. All she had to do was be her sweet charming self. ( in her 70's even - It was fun to watch people reminiscing but I wished I knew what they were remembering because my mom always said she was shy, but the people liked her real well. I had a great time watching Ms. retired homecoming queen.

I never went to one. dunno. always seemed too early to vote on who was the coolest kid that early in the school year. meh.

In our school the king and queen were always seniors, so in theory you'd already had 3 years to figure out if they were completely awesome or not.

Us too, Clod.

Often the royalty ended up being actually awesome people. Like Jennifer B. She was gorgeous, smart, and nicer than anyone could ever be. In fact, she came to my mom and dad's 50th wedding anniversary and she is still all those things.

Hearing stories I feel like I went to school in some other dimension, or a time warp, or in fairyland or something. Maybe I just like to remember the good things. Life wasn't all that idyllic. But it just 'was' and I was learning to be 'me'.

I remember going to the prom with my dad and coming home with my mom.

Marty McFly?

It's the punchline to this joke:

Three people are discussing their earliest memories, First one says she can remember being two and riding in her stroller on a rainy day. The second says he can remember coming home from the hospital the day after he was born, the third says, "That's nothing, I remember going to the prom with my dad and coming home with my mom."

Ahhhhh. I've never heard that joke. :blush:

To me, Homecoming is something that started during an era when there was some weird pride in one's high school. As if you chose the school, instead of accidentally landing in its geographic area.

We did choose the school, though.... ;)

Nope, still don't get it. Sorry.
Is it worth explaining or is it cultural?

sperm.

Is spooge.

baby batter

Jizz juice

Duck Butter?

http://www.uta.fi/FAST/GC/sex-scat.html

Man chowder

Protein shake

Two-ball Compound

yebbut duck butter?

Homecumming

That quacks me up.

I probably shouldn't show Hebe this thread, should I?

Yeah, but we didn't have a homecoming king. The queen candidates had to be seniors, and were nominated by the football team, supposedly for their school spirit (read "senior football players girlfriends). The student body elected the winner. All the candidates were driven in a convertible onto the sidelines at halftime, where/when the winner was announced. Dance that night. The football game was the last home game of the year, so every other year was against our arch rival.

I played in the football games, and went to the dances, which everyone went to, girl/boyfriend or not. The dances were nothing special, and drinking *coughboonesfarmapplewinecough* definitely did occur.

Ha! I was thinking that too. Guess we mucked that up, so to speak. :lol:

MODS!

MODDERS AGAINST DICK DRIBBLE

For the record, I NEVER went to a homecoming game or dance after I graduated highschool.

Me, either.

I should have a few years ago when they had a ceremony for past notable football players and both my brothers were there.

Culturally it is often a rite of passage to get laid on homecoming night or prom night.

That makes me feel so comfortable about encouraging my 13yo to go.....

All the better shops carry them...