Woodside High School dances can be very stressful, and some of that stress is partially due to whether a student has a date.

“I always try to have a date to school dances, but sometimes finding dates is hard,” Freshman Lizzy Hinshaw commented.

Hinshaw understands that a major worry around homecoming week is not having a date. According to a Woodside World survey, 23.3% of Woodside students are worried about having a date to a Woodside dance.

“I am worried about having a date to homecoming. I don’t know many guys at the school, and I’m afraid no one will ask me,” Hinshaw said.

Although Hinshaw, as a freshman, is worried about having a date, Senior Devin Dohrman explains that his worries have loosened up throughout his years at Woodside.

“I was actually pretty worried freshman year, but ended up getting a date to both homecoming and formal. However, after that, I didn’t really feel any pressure to bring a date, it was just kind of a ‘if I get one, great, if not, that’s fine’ type of thing,” Dohrman explains.

Accompaniment to dances is important, whether it is with a date or with a group of friends. Most Woodside students feel uncomfortable going to a dance by themselves, and 35.9% of Woodside students usually bring dates to dances.

Hinshaw adds, “I would rather go to the dance with a date, but, if I can’t find one, I will most likely go in a group. I don’t think I would go by myself.”
Freshmen are not the only ones who would rather be accompanied when attending dances.

Junior Nadia Sochan agreed, “[I would go] with a date or with a group. It’s lonely to go by yourself.”

Throughout the grades, students agree that dates are not needed for homecoming, but they are more important for prom. Different dances present different situations for the attendee and may result in different social expectations.

Sochan discussed, “People think that you need a date for prom, and you don’t need a  date for homecoming. There’s just like this thing where homecoming is more casual.”

According to the Woodside World poll, 45.6% of Woodside would rather bring a date to Prom than any other dance.

Dohrman confirmed, “There’s almost no pressure to bring a date to homecoming or formal, but there is a ton for prom. Prom is supposed to be the quintessential dance of high school and bringing a date is pretty much to the norm.”

Senior Evan Farrar brings up another point about having a date to Prom. Since the seniors won’t have another Prom to bring a date to, it may be more fun to spend their last Prom with a date.

“For seniors, [Prom] is their last dance!” Farrar mentioned.

Hinshaw said, “When I’m going to homecoming while I still want to find a date, I don’t think it is necessary to find one. However, for prom, I probably wouldn’t consider attending if I didn’t have a date.

However, Hinshaw thinks that it matters what your friends decide to do, agreeing that being “odd one out” isn’t a good feeling.

“I think it matters to some extent if you have a date, however, if none of your friends have dates, then it’s fine and you can just go with them,” Hinshaw mentioned.

“Many go [to dances] with friends due to the pressure to bring a date,” Dohrman said.

The fear of getting a date to homecoming is significant for some Woodside students, and others don’t care as much. Priorities are different for different people.

Freshman Kyle Knudson isn’t stressed about a date: “I don’t feel pressured because not many people have dates to homecoming.”

Whether a student has a date, homecoming is still a very exciting part of high school.

An anonymous junior explains: “I’m excited for homecoming- it’s part of the typical high school experience. But because of that, it can never really live up to it’s hype, date or not.”