Is it important to attend school dances, why or why not? "In today’s world, it seems that teenagers are more disconnected than ever. On average, high schoolers spend up to 9 hours a day connected to digital media," Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth writes in an article titled “School Dances: A Thing of the Past or an Opportunity for Student Development.” This statistic raises the issue of whether high school dances can help get kids connected outside of social media and the internet, maybe even giving them opportunities to meet other kids at the school that they may have passed in the hall but never gotten the chance to talk to. 

In the past, before the internet, high numbers of people would attend school dances because connecting with friends in person was the only way to do so. Also, couples and slow dancing were emphasized in the past, whereas modern dances focus on going with friends and dancing in groups. This change may reflect a cultural shift where friend groups are more important and prioritized by high school students over one-on-one, couple relationships. Even when people go to dances as a couple, it is often as part of a larger group. 

Today, school dances are competing with phones and maybe even people who sit in their rooms on their Xbox with headphones canceling out the people around them physically. I think that during Covid people deepened these habits of interacting with people online rather than in person, which could make it harder for people to have the decent interactions that a school dance requires. Add a slow song and people run and hide in the bathroom to avoid the awkwardness. This may be because people feel more isolated as a couple. 

However, according to the Scientific American article “Why Dancing Leads to Bonding,” “studies show that dancing at parties and in groups encourages social bonding.” This article also suggests that dancing in groups leads to positive emotions due to the creation of endorphins. High schoolers may not realize it, but dancing with others can make them feel good.

At Rowland Hall, the Student Council plans out around six to eight dances per year, and some of these dances are used as opportunities to help raise money for charity. Most of these dances are open to the whole high school, but some, like prom, are just for upperclassmen.  When asked about what goes into the planning, StuCo senior event lead Hasan Rahim said, “planning the school dances takes a lot of coordination.” He also explained that planning needs to begin early so they can “secure a decent venue for the event.”  Rahim also explained the importance of collaboration and delegating tasks in creating dances that people attend so that the outcome is positive. He also mentioned the reason StuCo puts so much effort into planning. “Students really benefit from the social aspect of the dances and just the overall good time that is had,” Rahim noted. 

A recent dance Rowland Hall put on was the Monster Mash, which was on Wednesday, October 23rd, the first night of parent teacher conferences, and was held at the McCarthey Campus. Students were able to express themselves and embrace the Halloween theme by dressing up in fun and creative costumes. From what I've heard, there were quite a few students who attended this dance. People enjoyed it because it was a fun way to socialize, and people enjoyed seeing the different creative costumes. Some people did group costumes and had fun coming up with them. Since Halloween is celebrated in the middle school with almost 100% of the students participating, this dance allows upper school students to get involved. Personally, I think this dance was well attended because it was seen as an easier way to socialize and not have to worry about finding a date or stress about formal clothing. 

Although dances may not be for everyone, I think everyone should give them a try because they can meet new people or experience positive emotions from bonding. Rowland Hall junior Lila Jackson explained, “Friends make dances so much more fun, even if the music can be hit or miss.”  In an article titled “How My Perspective On School Dances Has Changed,” Donovan Selfridge gives good advice:  “My advice is for those who go to the dances, those who want to enjoy themselves but feel out of place: Dance. Getting into it is nothing to be ashamed of.” Don’t feel pressure to slow dance, but at least try dancing with friends.