At Audubon High School students look forward to the Homecoming Dance, but what about the kids who want to go with students that do not attend Audubon High School? Having the opportunity to bring dates is exciting and can even make or break the experience. So why was the decision made to prohibit outside guests to Homecoming and Winter Ball?

Gabrielle Weiss, a junior in Audubon, would have liked to be able to bring her boyfriend to this year’s dance, but he is from Collingswood High School. Because of this, she did not attend this year’s dance. She says, “I feel like I am missing out on the whole high school experience of going to homecoming with my boyfriend just because he goes to a different school. I don’t get to get dressed up, take pictures, get asked to homecoming, or just simply go to the dance with him.” 

Although this rule can seem unfair a lot of thought was put into implementing this rule. Audubon’s administration and Student Council have their own reasoning for why outside guests are not allowed to Homecoming or the Winter Ball. Leann Perry, President of the student council, provides more insight on the reasons behind it. She explained, “The process to prove that outside students are safe; providing School ID, in-person meeting, principal signature, and parent signature is long and cannot be administered by the students; as Homecoming is run by our Student Council. The Student Council administrator could technically do it, but then it defeats the purpose of a student-led dance and it would be too big of a responsibility on the kids.” As it seems, Homecoming at Audubon has always been run by students and Audubon sees no reason to change that any time soon. 

Another important factor as to why Audubon’s Homecoming is kept to just Audubon students has a lot to do with the number of students and the amount of space. Prom, since it is at an outside venue and only includes grades 11th and 12th, allows outsiders to attend the dance. Homecoming, however, includes all grade levels from 9th to 12th, and it takes place in the aux gym. Perry states, “We could never fit that amount of kids in the aux gym, and we would never be able to provide water, food, space, or comfort for outside guests, and it would take away from actual Audubon students.” Mrs. Root, the Student Council advisor, agrees and is heavily focused on the student’s safety. 

Although this rule may make some unhappy, safety and logistics always have to come first. In the end, homecoming is always successful and fun and in the future when you are a junior or a senior you have prom to look forward to and can bring the date you want. So for now, enjoy the dance with your friends and make the best of it.