While homecoming is one of the most highly anticipated school events, from spirit week, the pep rally, the football game, and finally the dance itself, many preparations are set in place. However, does the hype live up to its expectations?

Many East students clash with each other’s opinion on whether or not homecoming is worth going to or abstaining from.

Senior Desireé Merritt has only attended homecoming once and had an interesting experience.

“I’ve only been to Homecoming one year, but my experience there, in all honesty, wasn’t the greatest, it was pretty lame. The DJ wasn’t the greatest and there wasn’t enough dancing or engagement,” Merritt said.

School spirit is one of the most important elements a school should possess. East’s spirit week helps boost the morale of the students before the dance. Some have started to argue that East’s homecoming celebrations have started to lose their spark. Factors like student interests shifting, and less community involvement have caused the hype around homecoming to dwindle.

This decline can lead to a cycle where the lack of spirit results in even less excitement. Senior Julian Nino  who has attended Homecoming all four years of his high school experience, has noticed the decline in homecoming as well.

“I’ve gone to Homecoming all four years I’ve been at East, and I can honestly say that each year, the entire Homecoming week quality, it goes down. I definitely feel that more preparation and effort can be put into it, to bring that spark back that it used to have my freshman year,” Nino said.

Now, there are still benefits from homecoming outside of the dance. Students get to dress up and express themselves with outfits and apparel that they wouldn’t usually wear on a daily basis.

Students taking pictures in these outfits become a way to capture memories and celebrate their individuality.

“The best part about homecoming for me is definitely the week to two weeks, right before homecoming, where you go dress shopping, shoe shopping, and everything else,” junior Izzy Fletcher said. “Then, finally being able to show it off to friends, family, and people at the dance.” 

Whether the spirit stays strong or starts to fade, this week will show how much the school can come together to make Homecoming unforgettable.

Written by seniors Micah Monahan and Max Jungels. Edited by staff writers for Oswego East’s online news magazine The Howl.