As the summer subsides and fall makes its appearance, the students of CdM are readying for the BOTB season– and with it, homecoming. Many students have spent the past month or so planning for the event between corsages and dinner reservations to ideal attire and asking their dates, but some claim that the planning process is taking more of a toll on their mood for the dance. With classes gradually starting to introduce harder areas of the curriculum, and students becoming distressed over upcoming quarter reports, a dance is the last thing on everyone’s minds. In contrast to these concerns, though, current junior Seveen Eslami notes that “at the end, once you go and you have fun, you forget all about [the stress]”.

So, what can one do to get more into the mood for the dance? For starters they could spend a night full of “me time” curling up with a cozy classic that features a high school dance: Sixteen Candles, 10 Things I Hate About You, High School Musical 3— or perhaps they’re looking for some hit dance moves and turn to Napoleon Dynamite for inspiration. Also consider throwing some looseness around the event. Ditch some plans and make way for the unexpected. A night is never fun if people don’t allow room for surprise and silliness. Looking for a more last-minute option? Create a getting-ready playlist that will get one pumped for the shindig. “Usually there’s a lot of Taylor Swift,” says senior Katherine Popper, as she discusses her social circle’s ritual before dances.Seeking alternatives? Browse for some good ol’ 2010 ragers or “Barney’s Get Psyched Mix” from How I Met Your Mother.

Homecoming is a tradition that has been going on since the turn of the 20th century, but old traditions will only die hard (another classic, but does not feature a school dance) if people make them. It is important that one mustn’t lose focus on the true beauty of the event: an excuse to spend time with the people they care about (and maybe that’s in a different setting than one would imagine). Explaining that she and two or three of her friends join her to get dressed and do makeup, junior Emma Miranda states she feels “like getting ready for homecoming is the best part— the vibe”. Nowadays, most people look at the event as another social gathering that ensures their social prowess and standing– or maybe they don’t. So, it is easy to forget that the individual is what makes the dance, not the other way around. Which poses the question: what will YOU do to truly make this “A Night To Remember”?