Back before I was even in high school, I heard tales of homecoming and prom from my older cousins. I would fantasize about my dress, my date, my giant group of friends that would go to dances together. When I arrived at South and excitedly got ready for my first homecoming, though, I was shocked at how different it was from what I had thought.

Freshman year, we were locked in for three hours and couldn’t leave. There was no place to sit and talk with your friends behind the commons floor– barely anyone opted to that Administrators were scattered throughout the gym, patrolling the gym floor and making dancing with your friends entirely too awkward. It’ll be better next year,’ I

thought to myself. It’ll change and be different. 

It didn’t. Sophomore year, it was largely the same– the only thing that did change was the atmosphere and attitude around homecoming. I saw more and more of my classmates getting all dressed up and taking pictures at the yacht club but not actually attending the dance. Those who did go weren’t very on-trend– or ‘cool’, even. 

At the dance, it was pretty much identical to last years. Having the DJ in the middle of the gym floor was about as mood-killing as you’d expect, forcing everyone to move around the DJ station in a circle and  and your dance moves very exposed virtually impossible. Besides the brief “chair revolution” most of us eagerly watched, the varied attep and the varied attempts to escape the dance early, nothing too exciting happened.

No one hated homecoming, but it certainly wasn’t loved. I was fairly neutral when I thought about next year while walking out of South, heels in hand. Not particularly looking forward to it because, I thought, what more could South do to make it better? Next year, I probably wouldn’t even go. 

Then, news spread about SA making new changes to homecoming. No lock in? A hangout area in the upper floors of the gym? A bonfire? All of it seemed so outlandish and achievable. 

Personally, I think all the changes SA is trying to incorporate will work out well– I’m excited for them. Our school spirit is in such a rut that only something as big and shocking as revamping hoco could bring it back up. Maybe this will be the year where homecoming lives up to our expectations. I only wish I could go back and tell 7th grade Charlotte that the wait will be worth it.