While the month of September begins with the one thing most students dread, going back to school, there’s still one event the majority of us look forward to: homecoming. On Saturday, September 20th, “hoco”, as many students are now calling it, made its annual debut, but this time, in the gym instead of the commons.
Though moving the dance’s location from the commons to the gym doesn’t seem like a big deal, many returning East students were surprised when they heard the news. In addition to having no walls, the fact that homecoming took place in the commons was something unique to Williamsville East. Other schools don’t have a commons to hold the function, using the gym instead, and there’s something about resorting to the “norm” that makes it feel like we’re not special anymore. East students take pride in their uniqueness, and many felt that the individualism of our school was being taken away with this change. “I wasn’t thrilled when I found out the dance was going to be in the gym this year,” said an anonymous senior. “It’s traditional to have it in the commons. I mean, that’s what they’ve done the past three times I’ve gone, so when I found out my last dance would be different, it made me feel kind of…upset, even though it was probably for the better.”
However, the location of the dance was not the only difference this homecoming. “There were definitely more tickets sold this year than last,” Mrs. Desantis told us. “This time, we were over 800, and last year we were a little under.” She also stated that, in terms of the dress code, people seemed to be wearing shorter dresses. However, with the additional space in the gym, there were more areas for kids to be dancing appropriately (though it could go both ways with that last statement). While ticket sales did increase this year, there wasn’t a need for more chaperones like there was last year in order to sell additional tickets. She added, “The class officers really encouraged and secured chaperones earlier so there wasn’t a waiting list for East students.” Mrs. Desantis also told us that homecoming will continue to be in the gym next year since the space was better and there was more air circulation in the room.
Though more tickets were sold with homecoming being in the gym, not everyone was a fan of the change. An anonymous sophomore said he liked it in the commons better because, to him, the gym felt hotter, and the openness of the commons was a comfortable attribute.
In previous years, it was incredibly hot, and there wasn’t as much space for people to dance. Tables in the pit were offered for kids to sit in, but they were all taken. In addition, there wasn’t as much food, and the tables that housed the refreshments were smaller. However, with more open space in the gym, more tables could be moved to sit more people, and more drinks and desserts could be displayed.
That being said, there were also a fair share of kids who prefered the dance in the gym. Bryan Bacher, a freshman, told us he liked it in the gym since there was a large dance area and lots of people on it. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like in the commons where the area is a lot smaller. Space seemed to be a major reason people prefered homecoming in the gym, which is what senior Michelle Dao also agreed on. “I liked it better in the gym, but I thought there should’ve been more decorations. It was better because students were less inclined to segregate themselves in the pit. The chairs on the side were a bit out of place; it was weird, but not bad.”
Another student, junior Ananya Nrusimha, shares Michelle’s positive opinion. “I liked homecoming better in the gym. The really nice thing was that they had this little alcove with tables where you could go and eat separated from the dancing. It was kind of harder to start dancing initially, though, since the space was so much bigger, but everyone could separate into their own little groups which was nice.” While some students prefered the space in the gym to eat, others liked the area in the commons better where it was “less obvious that they were spending most of their time by the brownies”, as expressed by sophomore guest Mary Gartland.
The overall increased space of the gym is what caused many people to better enjoy themselves, allowing for dances like the Cotton-eyed Joe and the Cha Cha Slide. The cozy atmosphere of the commons was nice, yet many felt that the commons was hotter than the gym – though that also depends on where you were dancing. All in all, whether it was your first, second, third, or last homecoming dance at East, it was certainly one to remember.
by Gillian Marcus
