Ninth and tenth grade class representatives gather to plan the combined social every year. Whether it be a semi formal or themeless dance, they go through many ideas in this process until they land on an idea that will accommodate everybody, ninth grade class representative Asha Parry said.
The class representatives for ninth and tenth grade collaborated to design a social that would appeal to all the students attending. The representatives decided on a glow-in-the-dark theme for Friday, Feb. 7, because they said it would accommodate people who wanted a less formal dance.
The dance took place in the RBG courtyard and half of the Zeller Student Center, featuring DJ CocoVex — Serenity Jones (’26) — as the DJ. The RBG courtyard had food such as tacos and candy, while the Zeller Student Center was the main dance floor.
It can be challenging for representatives to meet everybody’s expectations for the dance, Parry said, since varying opinions across grades can sometimes lead to backlash. She said she likes to get feedback and accept suggestions from her peers.
“There’s no possible way for every single person in two grades to be happy with what we’re doing,” Perry said. “We open it up for the theme…because we want student input.”
Teachers also attended the dance, making sure the students were safe as they gathered in the Zeller Student Center. Among these students, Chiara Silveri (’27) stated her observation of several teachers.
“I think [the dances] are heavily monitored, which makes it a little bit less fun and a little bit more serious,” Silveri said. “But normally I like them and they’re fun.”
Science teaching apprentice Joshua Stern said faculty supervision is primarily for safety reasons and to give peace of mind to parents.
“I think it’s in large part, safety, particularly in terms of communication with parents as well,” Stern said. “Parents always like to know where their kids are and if they’re going to be safe. If there’s an emergency that goes down, they want to make sure those adults in the area that can help keep everybody safe.”
Teachers were there to create a safe environment for the students, as well as the students’ guests. Clementine Oxman (‘28) — who attends Crossroads — went to the dance as Chiara Silveri’s plus one.
“People are being very welcoming to me,” Oxman said. “When the staff are here, it provides a sense of safety to me knowing that adults are around.”
When asked about her thoughts on the dance just after it had concluded, Silveri said she had more fun than she thought she would.
“ I loved the music and food overall,” Silveri said. “I really enjoyed bringing a guest and introducing her to Archer … It was really fun to see my outside of school friends connect to my friends inside Archer.”
