Every year as Homecoming approaches guys and girls alike often ask their friends if they are going to attend the dance. Many people have no response to give to this question due to the fact that they don’t have a date, but do you need one? During an era of rising individuality, feminism, and self love, why is it so important that we have a date to a dance when realistically we would have more fun just going with our friends? The real answer is it’s not that important.

I personally have attended Homecomings both with and without a date and in my personal experience I had more fun without a date. Going to the dance with a date meant there was one specific person that I was required to be next to the whole night. I had to sit next to them at dinner, sit next to them in the car, dance next to them and only them, I never got a break. Although it was nice to have someone buy me flowers and take pictures with me, it was more fun to go alone and bounce between different groups of people.

If you are not in a relationship then I think the best way to attend a dance is without a date. By going with no date you have the freedom to take pictures with one group, eat dinner with a different one, dance with another one, and go home with another. By expanding the amount of people you are spending your Homecoming with you are also going to enhance your memories and positive experiences of the event. Madeline Adams (11) says that when she “went with a date it ended up being a lot more drama than it was fun.” The best way to avoid the drama is to go with friends.

Whether you have a date to Homecoming or not, the important thing is to realize that you have the option to attend. Tickets are available to all students regardless of whether or not you have a date, and no one will judge you if you don’t have a date. Homecoming is an amazing experience and a lifelong memory so just grab some friends and make it a night you’ll never forget. It is always better to try something and see how it goes than to miss out on the experience entirely, after all our biggest regrets are the opportunities we didn’t even attempt to take advantage of.