Hoco or Noco?
By Christina Muttavanchery ('23)
You’ve no doubt have watched or heard about people gushing over homecoming dances, and many think it’s a coming of age thing that every high school student must go to at least once in their lives.
The topic could spark massive debates among our classes in school. Yes, it might not concern seniors or juniors like myself, but we’ve actually gone to them, so we have a better understanding and outlook on it.
Hoco (short for homecoming) is just a school dance for many, but others think of it as an opportunity to be able to look on when they’re a 40-something-year-old talking about their high school days, but “What’s the point for underclassmen to have them?” you might ask. In my opinion, Hoco should be no more, especially since so many have already missed the dances because of the obvious health concerns taking the nation all over by storm. Underclassmen have also hardly been in NRHS long enough to want a dance to be held. I think, if Hoco was held just for upperclassmen, it gives underclassmen something to look forward to, and more importantly mature enough to handle anything that occurs.
The outlook from underclassmen can vary, but we also have to think about when upperclassmen were also underclassmen, and how we all felt about Hoco happening. The rush of excitement, and the anxiety about finding the perfect dress…or date. It very much gave us the thought of “Woah, we’re really in high school now.” I remember I kept thinking back to every movie that mentioned a high school dance (which is almost EVERY teen movie) and thought the night would be as special as it was depicted for a movie that had a huge budget, compared to a school’s one. But even then, spending time with your friends and living in the moment is one of the best parts of the dance. It’s like, for a second, you forget the night will end, and by Monday you’ll be in science class again, like everything that had happened was a dream.
At the end of the day, it’s really up to the district on what they plan to do going forward, and also the underclassmen, if they feel the need to voice their opinion on this urgent matter…well urgent to them, etc. Homecoming is fun and all, but the real thing to look forward to is definitely prom, so I feel they should keep that in mind. Hoco is like a mental preparation for it in a way. For example, don’t wait until the last minute to figure out what you’re wearing or what shoes will make the mark for you. Nonetheless, enjoy and have fun!
Cover photo courtesy of Gabby Ceconi.