The moment everyone has been waiting for since the start of the school year, homecoming weekend, one of the most exciting and stressful times of the school year. Students get the chance to go all out, and it irks a sense of excitement and hope within each grade. “Who is my date going to be?”, “What colors should I wear?”, “When should I get my homework done?” Wait, that does not sound right. Homework during homecoming week? That’s absurd, but it is the reality. Many teachers give out homework like candy, and it doesn’t matter if there is a special occasion or not, but why? There is no doubt that homework helps refresh the brain on learning material, but should it really be handed out during homecoming week? Let’s talk about it.
Before
The week leading up to homecoming is both exciting and exhausting. Girls and guys are out shopping for the best formal attire, accessories are being pulled off the shelves, and the best hairdressers have their appointments filled. The question remains: how can students look forward to homecoming when they are stacked with homework?
Balancing homework and after school events are already tiring as is, and with the anticipation of homecoming right around the corner, nobody has time for essays and projects. The students involved in after school activities sometimes stayed after school one to two hours after the final bell had rung. Football players had practice almost every day of the week, sometimes finally getting home around 6-7pm. The freshman and JV cheer teams, and especially varsity, also practiced for not only the homecoming game, but the pep-rally as well. Their schedules were most likely packed as well.
Most members of the student council had even more to do, as they stayed after school every day decorating the halls for homecoming. They had to get supplies for the decorations, assemble them, and then incorporate their designs throughout the hallways of one of the biggest high schools in Michigan. Majority of the student council members stayed after school up to an hour or an hour and a half every day to set up the halls with decorations. Not to forget the StuGo members who were a part of creating our homecoming dance. On the day of the homecoming game, StuGo members stayed after school to put together the amazing “Cruise into Paradise” homecoming theme, and I’m sure most to all of the members attended the homecoming game as well, leaving them little to no time to get their own schoolwork done.
Weekend of
Homecoming weekend was by far the most stressful part of it all. To start off, Friday was the homecoming game, the moment the varsity football players, cheerleaders, and dance team had been preparing for. Once school was out, face paint was applied, school spirit was activated, and many people went last minute shopping for any accessories they still needed or wanted to add to their final look. Around 6:30pm, people began flooding the football stands and some students didn’t return home until 10pm or later.
Then, the day came when anticipation was at its highest, homecoming day. Majority of the day leading up to the dance, students were getting ready for the big event. Girls went out to get their nails, hair, and makeup done, along with putting it all together for the perfect, final look. Once everyone was done preparing for the dance, students gathered to take pictures with their dates, friends, and family before finally heading to the dance. With the combination of the homecoming dance and several different after parties, many students didn’t arrive home until 11pm or later.
When Sunday comes rolling around, everyone is recouping from the eventful days prior. Waking up late was common, and hanging around the house in pajamas was most likely what everyone was doing. However, not everyone got that luxury and had plans, like church, work, etc. Most work hours are around 5-6 hours long, and by the time kids get home, all they want to do is relax and enjoy the rest of their Sunday. Doing homework over the homecoming weekend was not a reality, and many zeros or low grades were put in the grade book as a result.
After
Going back to school after a big event is difficult, nonetheless. The lack of motivation was at an all-time high, and teenagers are tired from the eventful week/weekend that has passed. Many students have expressed that handling the workload given by teachers during the homecoming time frame has and is extremely difficult to manage. Grades dropped, and many zeros were put in, leaving students in a difficult and stressful situation. As the week has progressed, I’m sure students have attempted to redeem themselves and get back on track with their work, however, also having to juggle homework being given out as well has not made it easy.
Giving out homework is one thing, but when six different classes are simultaneously handing out schoolwork, along with hefty projects and essays, it can cause a lot of unnecessary stress and pressure on a student. At the end of the day, all students ask is for a little bit of leniency during the days surrounding homecoming weekend.
