Fall is an exciting, yet stressful season for many high school students. With the school year back in full swing, it can be hard for some students to balance out their homework, tests and sports. School events and dances can be a fun way to relieve some stress from classes and serve as a good distraction from students’ everyday lives.

One tradition for high schools around the United States is a school-wide homecoming dance. Homecoming gives students something to look forward to during busy times in school. Considering how common this tradition is in the U.S., we are puzzled with why Wayland does not have a homecoming dance.

Each year, there have been students quick to point fingers, blaming teachers and administrators for not “allowing” a homecoming in Wayland. The truth is, there hasn’t been an actual reason for not having one.

“In my time here at Wayland High School, there has never been a homecoming, nor have I ever heard of Wayland having one,” Principle Allyson Mizoguchi said. “Before COVID-19, SADD put together some really cool dances, and we’ve also had some costume parties. I think it’s terrific to imagine how to bring students across grades together in a school event that’s fun and safe.”

In other high schools, the dance starts off with announcing homecoming king and queen, which students vote for prior to the dance. If Wayland were to have a homecoming, it would make the school environment more inclusive, so that everyone would feel comfortable running for a homecoming court position.

“I think it would have to be clear what homecoming is and who it’s for, so it doesn’t just feel like another event or dance,” Mizoguchi said. “It would be interesting to have a fresh perspective on what homecoming would look like in 2022.”

In addition to not having homecoming, Wayland also does not have any school-wide dance. We believe, as well as others, that homecoming is something that could vastly improve the school’s social climate.

“I think [homecoming] could be a very good opportunity for our school and our grades to get closer with one another,” sophomore Maya Noyes said.

Wayland having a homecoming would be beneficial for students who don’t participate in after-school activities, so that they can converse and meet more peers.

“Unless you do sports after school, you don’t really get the opportunity to meet new friendships,” sophomore Amelia Lang said. “I think [homecoming] would also help the hostility between grades and it would be nice to see the whole school together.”

Though Wayland often has extravagant dances at fancy venues with buffets, not every school dance has to be like that. Dances can be simply thrown in the field house or on the turf, and decorations don’t have to be super fancy. The main requirement for a homecoming to happen is a committed team of students working together.

“If [the planning is] outside of the student council, then I think to be effective it would need a good team of students to figure out the funding and the organizational planning to really launch this.” Mizoguchi said.

All Wayland High School needs to have a homecoming is a group of students who are able to commit and take action on this dance. We hope Wayland might be able to start a new homecoming dance tradition which could become a night to remember for all students.

“I’m always open to ways to pull people together,” said Mizoguchi. “I’d be super supportive of a new tradition.”