High school dances are somewhat of a right of passage for every high school student. Girls spend months looking for dresses, and picking out shoes, all for one night of fun. Dances are certainly something that high school students look forward to, and are an important part of the high school experience.

The modern trends of dancing have changed greatly over the past decade or so, and many schools are putting a fight up against the trend. The dancing, named “grinding” has become very popular among teens, and has swept the nation, causing some schools to cancel dances completely.

For those who do not know, the style of dancing involves two participants, usually a boy and a girl. The dancing is also called “back to front” dancing, as the girls backside is with the boys front side. The dancing style can become very inappropriate for a high school function, but there is also a line that must be set.

The past few years at Alliance High School have been somewhat of a roller coaster for the students. This year’s seniors have had four different principals since their freshman year. With this, there has been a great variance in rules. There have not been any restrictions on dancing in the past, but new principal Mr. Clear brought the change.

The homecoming dance held in early September was stopped momentarily, addressing the inappropriate dancing that was taking place. (I was not at the dance as I was out of town with the tennis team for a tournament.) A large number of students left the dance in protest, while few students remained at the dance. I have heard anywhere from ten students stayed to twenty or thirty. No one or I will ever know exactly how many stayed, but that is not the point. The point is the large portion of students that left the dance. Leaving their whereabouts unknown.

Student council puts on roughly three dances a year, while the junior class puts on one (prom). The second dance is quickly approaching, (Morp, which is prom backwards, meaning students come in sweats and there are little decorations). The question that is rifling among students is whether or not “grinding” will be allowed.

While there is certainly a line that needs to be cut off at a school functioned dance, there is also the other side of that line, where the dancing is appropriate enough. The way that this line will be determined is up in the air, but it needs to be established, or dances may be held with few, if any students attending.

As a student, I want to be able to attend the school dances and have a good time, just like all students wish. Also as president of Student Council I have a hard time wanting to spend the money and plan a dance that few students attend. The only way that I can see this problem being solved effectively, is finding a compromise, and a well balanced compromise is the only way to go. This needs to come from both the administration and the students, and both sides need to be open to compromise. Speaking on behalf of the students, I know that we are open to ideas, but at the same time, it is difficult to change so drastically and so suddenly. As I mentioned before, there were few rules placed on students in previous years, and now that there is finally solid administration in the schools, the sudden onset of these has been somewhat of a culture shock to students.

As I finish out my senior year, I can only hope that the issue is solved, because I, as well as the one hundred other seniors, would most certainly like to attend our Senior Prom as well as other dances and have an enjoyable time. The change will have to come with all sides working together, not one side telling the other. I understand that we are the students, and the administration is in charge and are in charge of providing a safe environment, but at the same time, the best way for a school to run, is to have the administration listen to the students, isn’t that the point of having a Student Council?