The tense and angered yells between Kirkwood High School and Webster Groves High School alumni and students could be heard as they threatened to start a riot. One may expect it to be because of a more serious topic, but it was all over a rivalry between schools. After the fight between schools, school faculty organized the first ever Friendship Dance, and it has been held every year since then. Today, it is held at the school that does not host the game. One boy and girl from each school that participate in extracurricular activities like band, sports and the Black Achievement Culture Club are crowned Friendship Queen and King in recognition of their achievements.

The Friendship Dance is a chance for both WGHS and KHS students to bond with each other outside of sports and hangouts. Despite the opportunity to hang out with friends and classmates, attendance of the Friendship Dance has fluctuated through the years, and the only time its ever been canceled was during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Several students purposefully mislabel the Friendship Dance as “Homecoming” to make it seem mainstream. This downplays the true meaning of it, which is to maintain camaraderie between Kirkwood and Webster students despite the feud between them.

Getting rid of this tradition would take away that opportunity for students and bring back the intensity of the rivalry that started the dance in the first place. Some wish for a separate dance entirely. By erasing a rich tradition like the Friendship Dance, we take away an important aspect of one of KHS’ most exciting weeks, packed with activities like decorating the halls and a big pep rally. What history does a homecoming dance have other than being held every year and standing beside a big football game? The idea of getting rid of the Friendship Dance ignores its true meaning of bonding 2 schools, and diminishing old tension.