Homecoming is supposed to be one of the most exciting nights of the school year, a tradition filled with spirit, music, and memories. The stands should be packed with cheering students, the band playing loudly, and the gym lit up with laughter and dancing. But this year’s homecoming left many students frustrated, stressed, and disappointed. From delayed football games to low turnout at the dance, the night that should have been unforgettable but was remembered instead for all the wrong reasons.
Sophomore underclassman queen Gabriella Ramalia felt exactly that.
“I think it was all really crazy, and it was stupid what happened, Ramalia said. I do think they handled it pretty well, except for the announcer saying the game was canceled, then it was not.”

The chaos started on Friday, September 19, when the homecoming football game was delayed because the referees didn’t arrive on time. What was supposed to be an easy transition from the excitement of the game to the fun of the dance quickly fell apart. Students walked into the cafeteria turned dance floor and saw only a few balloons, some streamers and a few things hanging on the wall.
Since the dance was scheduled for Friday, student council had few volunteers to decorate for the dance since many of the members had other obligations.
It felt emptier than the past two years and it was noticeable. It felt like the energy of homecoming had faded before the night even began. The people in the dance were noticeably lower than in years past.
“A lot of people didn’t show up,” Ramalia said.
Athletic Director Benjamin Kruse tried, as did many other staff members, to reassure students that holding the dance on Friday night after the game was a good idea, but the reality left many feeling cheated out of the experience. For members of the homecoming court, the night was especially complicated.
Junior Queen Bella Glenn was disenchanted by the entire experience.
“I think it sucked, made it really stressful. I want to never do it on the same day again, especially as a cheerleader,” Glenn said.
Glenn explained that the timing of the dance caused major issues for the court as some escorts were still in the locker room when the dance began, and the first dance was messed up because some escorts were football players stuck in the locker room. Despite her frustration, Bella Glenn said she’ll always remember the night, just not for the reasons she had hoped.
Senior queen Lilana Ramalia, who shared that she had imagined her last homecoming would feel more special said that instead, she left feeling disappointed that the schedule left so little time for celebration.
“I stayed there for like 20 minutes. Being a queen during this, I felt like I got cheated out of the time,” said Lilana Ramalia.
The queens were not the only ones who felt this way. Students who purchased tickets felt that the dance could have been better.
“Yeah, it wasn’t the best dance. It was just all over the place since they moved the dance to eight, and then the game was at nine-thirty, so nobody was really at the dance, and it was just buns,” sophomore Emma Hollenbeck said.
Freshman Lucy Chapman tried to stay positive despite the setbacks. While she found moments of fun, she admitted the night didn’t live up to its full potential.
“I did go to the dance, and it was fun. I think the music could have been better, like more songs that we know. I feel like the delays kind of messed things up,” Chapman said.

While students shared their frustrations, the student council felt the stress of planning and preparation most intensely. They spent weeks organizing the event, booking DJs, ordering flowers, selling tickets, and setting up decorations, all while warning staff that a Friday night homecoming would cause problems. Unfortunately, their concerns went unheard.
“We worked for days and days to put everything together. We told them for days that doing homecoming on Friday after the game was not a good idea, but they wouldn’t listen. When the game was delayed and the dance was pushed forward, it was so stressful,” sophomore student council member Hannah Weinman said.
In the end, decorations were minimal, the cafeteria felt plain, and many students didn’t stay long.

Parents and community members also had mixed opinions. Many acknowledged the stress but praised the effort it took to make the evening possible.
“With that in mind, I think they did a great job of making everything happen for the kids,” Lisa Schneider said, a parent, noting that the referee shortage was out of the school’s control.
Kathy Diffenbaug, another parent of a student, thought that better communication could have eased confusion.
“My one wish was that they would have posted the change in time for the dance, like they posted the game change,” Diffenbaug said. Those at home were left in the dark unless contacted by a friend. We found out at nine that it had been changed. However, it didn’t seem to bother my son. He was able to go to the dance for a little bit, then went to the game.”
The lack of communication was not the only problem. Many students thought that having all of the festivities into one day was too much. Former student, Brooklyn Baker, remembered how special Saturday dances felt when she was in school.
“It took some of the ‘magic’ away from having a dance, and most students didn’t attend,” Baker said.
There were some parents who agreed that it was too hectic.
“I personally hope the dance moves back to Saturday next year,” Jess Lynn said, who also works in the district.
Though it was a night full of twists and turns, other parents thought that the night taught students valuable lessons.
“The kids still got to dance, and the game still got played,” Jennifer Schipul said, whose child plays varsity football. “It was a good life lesson for these kids to experience that life doesn’t always go as planned and that there are times when you have to adapt and adjust those plans to make things work.”

This year’s homecoming proved that scheduling matters. Between communication issues, planning stress, and last-minute changes, the night became a lesson in flexibility for students, staff and parents alike. While the event didn’t go as planned, many still found moments of joy and community spirit. As Stockbridge looks ahead to next year, students and organizers alike hope that homecoming can return to being the fun, unforgettable night it’s meant to be, one that everyone can look back on for the right reasons.