Is It Okay to Not Bring a Date to Homecoming?

Grace Rector '17, Staff Writer

When it comes to any kind of school dance, many questions cross the mind: which dress, which makeup, which shoes, and, of course, which date? However, is a date really necessary for every dance you go to? Let’s cover one thing: if you have a boyfriend/girlfriend, you are not obliged to take him/her nor are you obliged to take any date. Sometimes your friend group may decide to have a no-date school dance so that is can be all your Marymount friends dancing together and having a great time. Other times you may all decide to bring dates or friends, which can be just as much fun. Both options are great fun, but there are pros and cons to each.

If you decide NOT to take a date, all your friends can get ready at someone’s house, you can do your makeup together, and maybe after the dance have a slumber party all together. When you go to homecoming alone, you don’t need to babysit your date if it’s someone you don’t know very well, you don’t need to worry about getting your date home, and you don’t have to stress about all that awkward romantic stuff.

If you DO decide to take a date, you must make sure they have a fun time. You’ll get great photos with your date before going to the dance, and at the dance, you get a dance partner! A date also allows you to fill up not only one but TWO plates of food if there is any at the dance.

If you decide to bring a date, make sure you are asking them not out of obligation, but because you think it will make your night more fun. Be sure they follow this criteria:

  1. You feel comfortable talking with them casually.
  2. You PROBABLY have met them before that night.
  3. You genuinely like them as a person.
  4. They get along with your friends.
  5. They respect YOU as a person.

Stick to these basic guidelines, and you should be good to go. Ultimately homecoming can be fun with or without a date, depending on what you want from the night. Personally, out of all the Marymount dances I have been to, I have always taken a friend from another school because they get along with my friends, and I have a good time with them; however, many of my friends have never taken a date, and they have a spectacular time too.