After years of dwindling attendance and failed revival attempts, STAP Comm has officially pulled the plug on a tradition that’s “been around for nearly a decade,” as detailed by President Luke Lippitt. Winter Homecoming is out, and the fresh and new Spring Fling is in. This new semi-formal dance is set to take place on April 5th. The goal? Reviving school spirit and establishing new traditions at Orchard Park High School.
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the world, both temporarily and forever. One of many events canceled during that time was Winter Homecoming—one of two formal dances held at OPHS. Despite all odds, Winter Homecoming returned during the 2022-2023 school year. Upon its return, attendance was tragic and has only gotten worse since, and “the dance is STAP Comm’s main source of income,” said STAP Comm Treasurer Avery Walh.
After consulting with many schools in the Western New York area, Lippitt reported that “everyone has seen declining attendance.” It became clear to the STAP Comm that an attempt needed to be made to address these worries. Several efforts were made to revive the dance, including offering refreshments in the cafeteria as well as lawn and board games in the Commons. These attempts showed minimal improvements in turnout and student attitudes regarding the dance.
Following last year’s dance, Lippitt suggested that a new approach was needed. The idea of a rebrand has been floating around the high school for the past couple of years, and STAP Comm decided to survey the student body. A survey was sent out via email on November 19th, 2024, asking whether students would prefer to keep Winter Homecoming or to shift to either an activity night or a Spring Fling dance. The survey results showed that the majority supported a long-needed shift.
“As a cabinet, we felt that moving the dance to the spring and rebranding it could increase ticket sales,” said Walh.
The planning process for the Spring Fling dance entailed “meetings for all the [STAP Comm] officers to come and voice their thoughts about the dance” and then working with “a smaller group of 3-4 students … on specifics,” said Jenna Piotrowicz, the head of STAP Comm’s Spring Fling planning committee.
Lippitt purports that it’s a “new name, a new event, and something new for people to look forward to.” The goal is to make it a memorable event and one that will stick around for years to come.
So what exactly sets Spring Fling apart from its predecessor? Beyond a change in date and name, a plethora of other alterations hope to improve both attendance and experience. For one, a spirit rally has been introduced, similar to the one in the fall. It will take place prior to the dance, and the hope is that it will “boost school spirit and make it a fun weekend for students,” said Walh.
Since the event will be held in the spring and while the weather is warmer, the High School can host food trucks on the day of the dance. This change comes due to the PTO being no longer able to distribute baked goods at school dances, shared Piotrowicz. STAP Comm has also elected to allow song requests prior to the dance via a Google form sent out on March 13th.
“We really want [the dance] to be a memorable moment for a lot of our seniors out there,” noted Lippitt, emphasizing the careful planning and thought that has gone into Spring Fling.
Orchard Park Students have expressed mixed opinions regarding the change. “I fully support the decision to change,” said Walh. And many, like Walh, are on board with the change.
However, some are skeptical of whether or not Spring Fling will be a successful switch. “I think it makes sense to try something new … but I’m hesitant to see if it will really work,” says Scout Moskal, a senior at Orchard Park.
In later conversations, Piotrowicz presented her concern that seniors may see the dance as too close to Senior Prom. Whether Spring Fling becomes a new tradition or faces the same fate as Winter Homecoming remains to be seen—but for now, STAP Comm is hopeful that this fresh start will bring Orchard Park students back to the dance floor.
