Embedded Files
By Sophia Wagner
March 2022
DJ Anthony fires his toilet-paper-roll-shooter above a cheering crowd of party-goers.
The Fall Dance was the first dance of the 2021-2022 school year, and it occurred on November 19th from 7 to 10 pm. In the weeks leading up to the dance, students were encouraged to vote on either a Space Western theme or a Disco Inferno/Studio 54 theme. The winning theme was Disco Inferno/Studio 54 theme, and while this was groovy for some students, it proved to be more controversial than expected.
The "disco" sign at the entrance of the gym.
On the positive side, the dance allowed high school students to have a chance to connect after a long year of CDL. The Disco Inferno theme allowed for creative outfits, so students could express some creativity in their formal wear. In addition, the DJ’s playlist consisted of pop hits as well as dance remixes, and this meant that many people were familiar with the music choices and could sing and dance along. The dance was held in the ISB gym, and there was fog in the air to make the lights look magical; Oliver Wagner, a 9th grader, said that his favorite part of the dance was the lights and the unique atmosphere. The courtyard and wellness center were open for students to relax in, which was unique to the Fall Dance and was something that many students enjoyed. In general, the dance was a time where students could let loose and have fun.
On the other hand, there were some aspects of the dance that could have been improved. While some thought the DJ’s lights were fun, they were also too bright and blocked out the lights that Student Council had set up. In addition, the DJ didn’t seem to pick up on the students’ preferences for music and seemed unable to “read the room”. Both of these problems can be attributed to the DJ who will most likely not be returning to ISB.
One of the DJ's bright lights.
One student opinion of the Fall Dance comes from senior Jaime Park, who disapproved strongly of the chosen theme. She argues that the main problem with the Fall Dance wasn’t the DJ or the dance atmosphere, but rather the Disco Inferno theme itself. I interviewed her over email last week about why this might be, and she said “Being our first in-person dance in almost 2 years (prom notwithstanding), we need a message of togetherness, of perseverance… hope, and unfortunately the 70s is unable to, fundamentally, reflect this.” She goes on to say “The West: a land of unforetold adventure, a terrain harsh and inhospitable, yet filled with hope, exploration, and most importantly, community. In many ways, this golden land reflects our very own ISB [...]. We emerge, from the dust just as the pioneers of the west have, facing the territory bravely with just the clothes on their back. The obstacles and dangers that we face may not be life threatening, but the IB is certainly an equally formidable and stressful foe as the great unknown, yet we survive and forge on. Through all these circumstances arise community, camaraderie between fellow sufferers of the International Baccalaureate program. The West: quintessentially ISB.” She finishes her statement by saying “I lament the loss of what we could have had. The whoops and yee-haws that never came, the boots and wide brimmed hats we never had the opportunity to wear. [...] In summary, we should have had cowboys.” Cowboys or not, Jaime’s point about how ISB needs unity and togetherness is something that many have been discussing this year, especially the seniors. Unity could be something that ISB always works towards, especially over the 2021-22 school year. The ISB dance had both pros and cons that can be used to make the next dance even better.
Overview of the dance scene.
In conclusion, the Fall Dance was a good start to the school year, but it could be improved by using more student input. One of the main problems with the DJ was that very few requested song choices were actually played, and in terms of the dance theme, some students’ opinions still went unheard despite what was likely Student Council’s best efforts. Student representation is an essential factor in what makes a fun dance, so one hopes that student representation can be improved for the next dance to make it even better.
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