To a lot of people, homecoming is the most important moment of the school year. Some girls take hours to get ready and boys sometimes take days preparing a good proposal.To some students, though, homecoming really doesn’t matter.

These people skip homecoming and choose to do something else with their night. They might stay home or they might choose to go out with friends to somewhere other than homecoming.

Many of these students have complaints about how little time they actually get to spend with their friends at homecoming. Loud music and the expectation to dance often means that people don’t get to socialize.

Junior Ryan DiGrande skipped homecoming “because [he] figured it would be more fun to go do something with friends.”

Ryan and some other upperclassmen opted to skip homecoming and instead planned an event called “Bowling Night.” Twenty-one people got together on homecoming night to go bowling, and even though three of them still attended homecoming afterward, most skipped it.

Another founder of Bowling Night, junior Matthew Jaojoco, said, “I definitely think it was better than homecoming. I went to homecoming as a freshman and sophomore and this was better.”

People like Matthew that are laid-back and reserved have a lot more fun in a casual environment with people they know than they would at a busy, crowded dance.

That’s not to say someone should never go to homecoming. There’s plenty of people that enjoy going to the dance, and nights of socializing with peers are an important part of the high school experience. But homecoming isn’t the only choice.

Get-togethers like bowling night are also a fun way to spend the night. I know I personally know quite a few people that only go to homecoming because their friends go. Sometimes talking over an alternative that everyone will enjoy is the best course of action.

High school homecoming still only happens once a year, though. Matthew said, “I’ll probably go senior year,” just because he’ll never have a chance to go again. Don’t skip just because you can; every year’s homecoming is different, and each can still be a great place to make memories.