New Dance contract upsets Dixon High students

Everyone looks forward to their senior year for all of the fun senior activities- from senior sunrise to the senior trip to grad night. But one of the most anticipated senior events is Senior Ball. This is where the senior girls or senior boys’ dates get all dressed up in formal attire, and the boys wear their suits. This is similar to Prom but it’s mainly for seniors. The activities of Senior Ball and Prom are pretty much the same. There are table areas for people to sit and socialize. Then, there is a dance floor for those who don’t want to just sit and talk. This is where the problem came in.

This year, there is a new contract for dances being issued. This restricts many ways of dancing that students are accustomed to practicing. Students now must stand vertically, girls can’t be bent over, and the males can not grab the girls neck. Also, there is no inappropriate touching of any body part, and both feet must remain on the floor. There were many other rules against other forms of inappropriate dancing.

Senior Ball in 2010

Dancing isn’t the only thing that there are rules against. There is also a new dress code involved. Girls’ dresses can not open on the sides, and the back can’t be over half way down. A big rule is also that the dress has to go past the fingertips. This may upset many girls, because senior ball is their time to wear short dresses. Junior prom is when the girls wear longer dresses. As for men, they can’t have canes, bandanas, or chains. Many guys also like to wear their nice pair of vans to Senior Ball, but there was a rule prohibiting this option also. But unlike any other rule, this one was lifted.
A lot of those going to the dance did not seem to like these rules at all. Senior Courtnee Briggs has never been to Senior Ball before, but based off what she has seen at past dances she says that she “understands where the rules are coming from… but in [her] opinion, to think we’re going to dance standing completely vertical hardly touching each other is a little ridiculous.” In another opinion on the new rules, Junior Yasmin Quintana has been to Senior ball before and says, “I get we are trying to clean it up, but it should have been a process, not just taking all rights away so fast.”
Both girls, and as for most of those attending the dance, are just hoping everything goes well and smoothly, so nothing gets out of hand and they can still have as much fun as in past years.

*Photo taken by Paul Quintos