On May 8 students will have their first opportunity at a school dance in over a year. Although the event is not run or sponsored by the district, the dance is for NC juniors. 

The last dance that students  have been able to attend through the school was Homecoming in 2019. Prom 2020 was cancelled, followed by Grad dance, Homecoming 2020 and Prom 2021. These dances are a huge part of the high school experience and are meant to be rewards for students’ hard work. 

Students deserve a real Prom or a supplement from the actual administration. The school year has been hard enough with constant work assigned by teachers and barely any breaks. Though administrators may not recognize this, parents do and are taking school rewards into their own hands.

“Light Up the Night” was planned by a number of Junior parents. It is to be held at The Haverstick, a workspace coffee shop on 86th street and Keystone, from 8-11p.m. on Saturday May 8th. Though the dance is for NC Juniors, only 75 students are allowed to attend because of limited tickets. 

I think the effort that parents are putting forth is truly amazing. They have seen that admin is not going to plan special events, so they have taken matters into their own hands. These parents recognize their children’s hard work through the year and they are thinking of all high school experiences they have already missed out on.

Though it is a special dance, the event should not be thought of as a substitute for Prom. The small number of people allowed to come is less than 10% of the entire junior class,and many of the attendees could be from another school or another NC class. 

Due to COVID-19, hundreds of students cannot come and enjoy the event. Though high schoolers are not at a high risk to contract the virus, they are still more likely to spread it.

I think with the increasing numbers of people getting their vaccinations, the dance being both indoor and outdoor, and mask mandated, that it will be a safe event. 

I will not be in attendance but I am eager to hear how well such a small dance will go during COVID-19. I would also like to know that parents, students, and administration know that this will not be accepted as a prom replacement. If the junior class could still have a prom next school year, students want that to happen.