Homecoming woes affect Blazers

With Homecoming approaching, senior Lumumba Khafra is all ready to go and party the night away. But there is one problem. Several problems, actually. He has no date. And he does not have enough money to pay for tickets.

Khafra's problems are not unique. Many Blazers are meeting many obstacles as Homecoming draws closer. These problems include finding a suitable date, choosing the perfect outfit, and getting enough money to pay for it all.

As his friends hoot tauntingly, Khafra glumly lists his troubles. ”I have them all,” he finally says.

Students who want to go to Homecoming are kept at home by the fact that they do not have a date. Sophomore Mai Tran says, ”Even though I want to go to Homecoming, what's the point? I don't have a date.”

Choosing the right date is also a dilemma for sophomore Osiris Rebollo. ”It's really hard to find a person... to match with,” she says.

Many Blazers find that their problems lie in getting enough money to pay for everything. Homecoming costs range from the ticket price to transportation from dinner to the dance.

Tickets are the first concern for many Blazers. The price range of $8-10 for singles throws many people off. ”It's too expensive,” gripes senior Sampson Geeplah.

Students must come up with different ways to get money in order to pay for the night out. ”I'm going to ask my parents, borrow some money,” Antwan Nguyen lists several tactics he might have to resort to in order to get the money he needs. ”And maybe go rob a bank,” he jokes.

Rebollo is concerned that she might find a dress that is ”too formal or too casual.” Many Blazers use Homecoming as a time to show off their outfits, but the outfits themselves must fit the standards of what everyone else is wearing.

Blazers must also make sure that they dress appropriately to the weather. ”[I] don't know if it's going to be hot or too cold,” Rebollo says,explaining that there are a lot of factors she must take into account when deciding what to wear.

Some Blazers have decided that they will still be going to Homecominng despite the many problems they encounter. Freshman Torre Martin has already decided that nothing will keep him from going to this year's Homecoming.

A lucky few find Homecoming this year to be surprisingly worry-free, however. Freshman Tuan On sums up his carefree time with the words, ”No troubles.” Everything is under control for On and many others, including senior Pierre Ayers, who said, ”I don't have any problems.”