In the past, Homecoming was a night in which students would swing and spin on the dance floor. The fond memories of innocent fun would be shared with parents, friends, and passed down to children. Today, what occurs on the night of Homecoming is hidden from parents and not appropriate to share with the impressible minds of children. Swinging, salsa, and the Jitterbug have been replaced by what most teenagers refer to only as “grinding.” The term itself has become a common phrase used by students, as the actual motions of the dancing are too graphic to be discussed in detail, even among peers.

Mrs. Panagos, a teacher at Bob Jones High School, makes a connection between “grinding” and one’s character saying, “People are who they are… People with character will have that character even if the lights are low.”

Cassidy Wilson, a senior at Bob Jones who has attended four school dances, is “shocked at how teachers are okay with that.” She views the grinding as “gross” and “not appropriate.”

Many students who have a view similar to that of Cassidy Wilson may choose to not attend the dance at all. A popular alternative for teenagers is to have an “anti-homecoming.” A group of friends may get dressed up, take pictures, and not go to the dance at all, instead choosing to participate in another activity such as roasting marshmallows over a bonfire or going to the movies. While this is a logical solution, it raises questions about students feeling as if the activity at Homecoming is so inappropriate that they do not even want to participate in the High School tradition.

Many teenagers are just seeking to have a good time, not seeing any corruptness in the typical high school behavior. What many adults, and some of the more naïve students, fail to realize or choose to overlook is the suggestive meaning of the songs themselves that provide the beat for the “popping” and “twerking.” Cooking “pies” and eating “truffle butter” may sound like a nice, borderline boring time, but they are actually about as innocent as the dancing itself. So where do we draw the line between what is considered appropriate and what is considered intolerable at High School events? What stories from the night of Homecoming will teenagers be telling their children in future generations, if they choose to speak of it at all?