Strollerderby

I read this a few days ago --

As a guy who HATED things like homecoming dances (for football?!) As a non-football guy, I welcome this trend towards anti-sport focus in schools.

I do see his point on other matters such as teens not simply dating anymore and opting for shallow "hook-ups."

The article is really well written. His point was more on boys making an effort into relationships, at least that's what I read.

I am only 5 years out of high school and I know that here in central Missouri, it's just as popular as ever. Kids get the whole day off school for the homecoming parade, and in our town homecoming is a bigger deal than prom.

I do agree with his lament that the concept of 'dating' has flown out the window and unfortunately this had been replaced by group dates and casual sexual activity.

It's not a good thing if kids are skipping the dance and instead getting together to drink, do drugs and have sex.

I went to Homecoming 3 out of 4 years in HS and to both my proms.  Not always with a date.  It was just as fun when I went with my friends.

I found the article moving and sad. Sure, it hurts not to "get asked to the dance" but something important is being lost- the practice of treating each other with respect. I would hate to be a young woman in college these days. There's no pattern to follow any longer. I can still remember boys calling me after I turned 16 and asking me for dates. it was exciting. And one of the first things that drew me to my husband was that he told me, almost word for word, that he wanted to take me out because he was attracted to me and wanted to get to know me. I admired his courage and directness.

You make such a good point--why were these girls so submissive as to just say, "Oh, okay, we're disappointed but you say so" and either tell the guys :no dance, no date" or just go their own selves? While I agree with Zaslow's point about "hooking up" I think the rest of the aticle offers really antiquted attitude abot the roles of girls-submissive, quiet, and defined by dating.

I went to an all-girls school so my perspective on homecoming is skewed. Girls from my school would advertise themselves to get picked for homecoming court at the boy's schools. It had an icky tinge to it---some of the girls seemed to be making promises of a more brazen nature.

Call me old-fashioned, but homecoming was kind of fun. Just fun. Not a the focus of a life goal or popularity contest. At least not for me. I grew up in small town New Hampshire, where we really had nothing better to do. Most of the sluts at my school saved their promiscuity for prom night. Well, let's face it, most of the sluts in my school gave it up far in advance of prom night or even homecoming. They gave it up for the first time in 8th grade or freshman year ... and that was 15 years ago. Anyone care to enlighten me on how young kids are losing their virginity now? What's the average age? Are there studies to quantify such creepy questions? I suppose I'll have to talk to my kids about sex soon enough but not in time for a big school dance. I have a feeling the type of schools they'll attend won't have them. They'll have artsy stuff like poetry readings at local coffee haunts and other stuff my kids might end up hating anyway. BTW, my babysitter is 15 and a high school freshman. She went to homecoming in a lovely, classy silvery dress. She came home by midnight and swears she's holding out for her wedding night. I could be clueless, but I actually believe her.

Homecoming attendance has much to do with the size of a school.  In a large school system, go or don't go may be determined by the queen of your cliche more than any personal desire to dress up or down.  In a small school system cliches abound also, but in those instances they tend to be guided by that once in a lifetime chance to show your cliche is more than Mary Jane's group.