This year the junior high has their own dance.  This choice was voted on by the student council.  According to student council sponsor, Amy Arensberg, it was an overwhelming vote for the separate dance and not to have junior high students at homecoming.

Arensberg said that seniors came up to her and asked about a separate dance.

“It’s honestly been a problem or a concern for years because the junior high kind of takes over the dance,” Arensberg said.  “It’s just a weird mix having 12-year-olds and 18-year-olds, and so we thought we would try it.”

Arensberg said she received mixed reactions having separate dances.  Junior high students were disappointed that they didn’t get to go to the original homecoming dance.  However, Arensberg said she had more positive reactions from parents than negative.

“I got some junior high parents that were very happy and they did not like that their kid was going with older kids and they loved the idea of having their own dance,” Arensberg said.

Eighth-grader Delaney Shield thought it was a good idea to separate the dance.

“We don’t get a lot of time to spend with our whole grade outside of school, so I feel like it was a good thing to do to spend time with them,” Shield said.

The junior and senior student council representatives helped sell tickets and concession stand candy at the dance.  Arensberg said the dance wasn’t different than the homecoming dance.  The junior high dance didn’t have a DJ just like the homecoming dance.  Daniell controlled the music for the dance.

Arensberg said she thought the dance went well.  

“Junior high have fun no matter what they’re doing, but I think it’s when you stay around your age you have more fun because you know them, you play sports with them,” Arensberg said.

Shield thought the dance was fun and the school should do it again.

“For being most people’s first dance and not really knowing what to do, it was pretty fun,” Shield said.  “We took a lot of pictures together to capture the moment, which was awesome.”