Every year I have been at Ben Davis, around January, there has always been talk of a winter dance.

Some people call it a winter homecoming or I have also heard it be called Valentine’s day dance. Either way, no matter what it’s called, there is always a question that goes around the school of, “Is there a winter dance this year?”

Every year the question always gets answered when the season passes and there is no dance.

This question also comes with opinions, what other people think about if there should be a dance or not. There is always the people who think dances are stupid and we shouldn’t even have prom so why would we have a winter dance. But then there are the people who love the dances and want a winter dance, a valentine’s day dance, and a Saint Patrick’s day dance.Then there are the people who just don’t care if there are ten dances or none.

We all hear stories for our teachers of their dance experiences in high school — my publications teacher Tom Hayes says his first date with his now wife was a “turnabout” dance during winter of his sophomore year in high school — and we know Ben Davis use to have a winter dance that coincided with winter homecoming. Yet this week is winter homecoming and, once again, it comes with no dance.

Even though I love dances and think they are an absolute necessity in your high school career, I don’t think there should be an excess of them. Dances are special, and if you had them all the time, then they would stop being so special.

Getting ready for the dance is the best part, it’s not supposed to be an everyday thing.

For most girls it’s sacred. You go dress shopping and you get to have an excuse to dress up and wear an excessive amount of makeup. I think homecoming and prom should be the only dances in the school year. Not to mention it could be quite costly, with having to buy different dresses and shoes. Let’s not forget the actual ticket. I don’t know about you, but I am saving up all year for my prom ticket.

Whether you like dances, hate them, or just don’t care, I think there is a reason why there is no winter dance. I think that there will always be questions about if there is one, and why aren’t we having one, but I guess that’s another Ben Davis tradition as well.