Nora Walkiewicz

Homecoming at Central is one of the biggest events outside of school. It incorporates people from every grade and gives students a reason to dress up in a variety of dresses and suits and dance for hours. Every November, members of the student association and staff help to organize this huge event. Organizing it isn’t easy, especially planning it in the center of Philadelphia. This year the dance took place on the same day that Vice President Kamala Harris came to rally at the Philadelphia Museum of Art stairs. This caused a traffic jam for students and parents when driving, but also added to the excitement and buzz all around the city that night.

The cost of homecoming tickets is usually in the $60 price range. Although this can be argued as expensive, the money goes towards having a big enough venue and catering for all of the attendees. When I talked to Jayden Yap (286), he said, “I didn’t go to homecoming this year because of the cost and my friends chose not to either.” These two components are the main reasons many students hold back on attending. The Loews Hotel has been Central’s homecoming venue for the past two years. It has a beautiful view of the city and is located just a block away from City Hall. It’s especially important to have a large venue to host Central’s massive student population but this can make securing a ticket stressful. Almost all of Central’s events are a full house. As soon as tickets go on sale for homecoming, prom, soph hop, etc. students are scrambling to get them in time. 

Other than a good location and turnout, the four-hour long night can consist of mixed reviews regarding food and what to do. When you step inside the event room, there is a large room with a dance floor, DJ table, standing tables, water/lemonade station, photo booth, and a few buffet tables scattered. The food usually consists of make-your-own tacos, tater tots, and a wide array of baked sweets.The dance floor can get pretty heated (temperature-wise and dance-wise), which causes an overflow of students sitting on the ground in the hallway, or anywhere where the air is a bit cooler, or taking advantage of the free water. This year our DJ was a Central alumni. He played a mix of songs from different eras such as Come on Eileen and Espresso, and classics like Cotton Eye Joe and Shut up and Dance. When I talked to Kelcie Cowan (286), she said she enjoyed the music and said, “I love homecoming because I can dance and have fun outside of school with people who I still go to school with.” Being able to create memories that coincide with school without the typical school obligations creates a strong sense of community that not many other schools have, continuing one of Central’s many traditions.