Homecoming Preparations: Boys vs. Girls

Ashlee Cox, Staff Writer

Homecoming is approaching on Oct. 14 at 8 p.m., and finding the right outfit can be difficult. In some ways, it can be like getting ready for a big trip. Preparation can include many tasks and things to do.

“It takes me about three weeks to find the dress. I look at a ton of stores to see all of my options for the dress,” freshman Alexa Williams said. “I also have to find some shoes to go with the dress and that takes maybe a week or so. The day of Homecoming, I’ll curl my hair and put it into a cute up do. I’ll paint my nails and do my make up more fancy than usual because we’ll be taking more photos. And that takes about two to three hours.”

Taking the whole day may seem like a lot for some but for others, it can be quite calming.

“I take the entire day to get ready,” senior Jade Clark said. “I eat a good breakfast and that’s where everything begins. I take a long shower then do my hair, nails and makeup. It may not sound like a lot but it is. I make sure I don’t rush because I don’t want to be panicked and stress on the day of homecoming. It’s relaxing and therapeutic for me to take my time.”

Although girls can take weeks to find their outfit and put in hours to get the look that they want, freshmen Darius Dixon explains how boys do it differently.

“If you think that boys ahead plan, then you have the wrong impression,” Dixon said. “Us freshman boys don’t really care for where we’re going to eat or what suits we’re going to choose. It’s a kind of go with the flow thing for us. So in some of these rare cases, we like to wait last minute. We can just buy our suits at Lord & Taylor and just be done. We usually wait a day or two to get ready.”

Although some perceive that boys take shorter amount of time than girls, some think it can be just as time taking.

“To me, homecoming is just a smaller prom,” senior Karston Steele said. “My hair can be a lot so it probably takes me the same amount of time as girls to get ready. Finding clothes isn’t too bad though. I just have to find a nice shirt.”

Due to it being fall season, a lot of students participate in sports. So, while some girls spend hours getting ready, others barely get two.

“Since I have a cross country meet that day, I only have one hour and 30 minutes to get ready for homecoming,” freshmen Rachel Doyle said. “So what I’ll do is shower, do my hair, all my makeup and get dressed. I won’t have time to go to dinner with all my friends, but the good news is most of my friends are on the team with me, so I already get to see them half the day which is great.”