Opinion by Preston Shultz
The school dance can be a time for many students to let loose, dress up, and have a good time. A dance typically requires one thing, music. This past homecoming, the student council spent hours putting together a playlist that would be enjoyable for everyone. The playlist had no swear words and was based off of student request. The dance started with this playlist, but quickly changed for an unknown reason. Within an hour, the dance had dissipated and there was but a small crowd. This can be prevented from happening at prom.
Nothing is worse than a drastic music change. Music was changing in the middle of songs, with students not on student council running the music, but why? Some say to kill the grind. It is no secret, since it is often said jokingly on announcements, that some of the faculty have problems with the type of dancing that goes on at high school dances. They may argue that the only reason that people grind is because it is classified as the normal now and that the students participating don’t actually enjoy it.
Actually, when asked by an anonymous email survey, 8 out of 10 MVHS students actually enjoy grinding and participated not just because of the fact that it was the “normal” type of dancing at the dance. And when asked in an anonymous email survey, 9 out of 10 MVHS students said that the music after the first couple of songs at homecoming were much below average. Although the music was sub par, it didn’t even stop the grinding, proving that the problem was not the grinding but the music.
Although some people may not like the types of dancing that happens at high school dances, it’s better than having people leave the dance. When people leave the dance, they then have free time. When the adolescent mind is free to do whatever it wants, it starts to bring in temptations. After leaving that dance, upset and unsatisfied, the temptation will no longer be dancing, it may shift in a more extreme direction. It is better to know they are there and safe compared to possibly out doing illegal and dangerous activities.
There are many solutions to this problem, but one sticks out the most. The need and want for a DJ has been brought up in the past and present, and what is stopping it? The DJ would have complete control of the music and they are trained and meant to keep the crowd satisfied. What are the cons you ask? The school would have to hire one, but that is an easy fix, an extra five dollars to every couple and the DJ is payed for.
In order to avoid another school dance catastrophe like this past year, good music is an essential. The dances are meant for the student’s enjoyment, and the students should be able to dance freely and be able to pick out their own music. Thanks to the strong opinion of the student body, people know that the music was not good, and it is known that it can be fixed. At the same time, thank you to the school for allowing us to have these dances, but please leave us to the music of our choice.
