Homecoming is quickly approaching, and students are already in the midst of planning. The dance, scheduled for October 19, will be the first that Battlefield has hosted this school year. This is where the common term “Noco” comes into play. It is almost the same as Homecoming, minus the actual homecoming part. It includes the whole pre-dance process, but rather than attending the dance put together by the school, students choose to go somewhere else, whether to another party or just back home. This activity is seen most commonly in upperclassmen, being that they have probably been on the homecoming bus multiple times before, but this year a large number of freshman and sophomores are jumping on the “noco” bandwagon as well. 

Out of the 3,000+ students that currently attend Battlefield, only about one third of them actually step foot on the dance floor. According to Mr. Schelzo, a supervisor of the student council, “[Ticket sales] in the last few years have been in the low 900’s.” While these numbers might surprise some who are not familiar with the reputation of the school’s dance, others, especially students who have attended the dance in years past, would certainly not find them shocking.

Homecoming’s bad rap is likely a factor in students forgoing the dance and instead taking the ”noco” route. Junior Alejandro Molina says, “My group and I decided not to go to the dance because it was ‘lame’ and the freshman were going to ruin it.” He continues, “I think the reason people thought it was lame is because of the awful playlist that’s played, honestly nothing really to get moving. And if you’re not in the gym dancing the night away, there’s really nothing else for you to do.” The lack of upbeat music and activities could definitely act as a repellent for some of the students.

  If students saw changes to the dance and had something different than past years to look forward too, then they might be more attracted to it. Sophomore Ashley Kang says, “ the SCA could attract more students if they changed the location of the dance because the students feel like the dance is now overrated since they’ve already been to it and know what it’s like.” She continues, “If they changed the location from the school gym to somewhere more ‘pretty’ I feel like people would go to because it’s more “formal” and like you would see in movies.” It seems as if the blaring music, multi colored lights, and punch are not enough to get people to come to the dance.

Other than the dance itself, there are many factors that play into the turnout of Battlefield’s annual Homecoming dance. Some of these include the pep rallies, spirit week, and the always highly anticipated football game. Despite the poorly reviewed dance, these events still manage to get the Bobcats excited for the Homecoming weekend ahead, whether their plans include “hoco” or “noco.”