Homecoming memories last well after high school

Last week, Jacobs High School had its homecoming celebration.

The rest of the high schools in District 300, as well as Huntley High School, are busy gearing up for the event.

So without further ado, here are my favorite memories from homecoming over the years, in honor of all the local teens who will soon be marking the annual tradition.

The homecoming dance freshman year was a big deal. The experience was filled with firsts. A couple weeks before the dance, I mustered the courage to call up a female friend of mine and invite her to the dance -- my first high school date.

I also had to buy my first suit. It was dark brown with pinstripes, paired with a green shirt and matching tie.

It was the year of the short-lived swing revival, which basically consisted of three songs, and I recall upperclassmen laughing at us as we clumsily attempted to swing-dance to Brian Setzer.

Sophomore year was my first pre-homecoming dinner, and the first time I got those cheesy homecoming pictures taken by a professional photographer at the high school.

The big song that year was Juvenile's "Back That Thing Up," which Wikipedia eloquently describes as "an explicit exploration of the same themes as Sir Mix-a-Lot's 'Baby Got Back.'"

That may have been the occasion where I introduced one of my signature dance moves from the era, "The Wounded Bird." To do it, put your arms straight out to the side and flap them up and down a few inches like, well, a wounded bird.

I hadn't planned on going to the dance junior year, but some friends called me up at the last minute, and I made a game-time decision. You only live once, right?

We started off the night at Mongolian Barbecue, which was all the rage in my hometown back then. After that, the group's efforts focused on how to get me into the dance without a ticket.

I popped in my Ricky Martin CD to get pumped up with a little "Shake Your Bon-Bon" en route to the dance.

It was surprisingly easy for me to sneak into the dance, although I was a bit on edge after hearing that the vice principal was looking for me. It was a false alarm.

Junior year was the first year I went stag. It wouldn't be the last.

I went solo again senior year. It wasn't too bad, except during the slow songs, when I'd slip out and have some punch and cookies.

For the senior year dance, I drove half an hour away to buy a hat to match my brown suit. It looked like that ridiculous hat Michael wears in "The Godfather."

If you're still debating whether or not to go to your homecoming dance, consider all the fun I had. You don't want to miss out on an important milestone in your high school experience.

So get up, call up that cutie in your trigonometry class, brush off your formalwear, practice your moves and tear the roof off your high school gymnasium.