The seventh and eighth grade classes of Whitney High School in Cerritos will be holding their first ever dance for middle school-aged students only.
Though high school usually begins at ninth grade, Whitney has students in seventh through 12th grades. Due to this wide range of grade levels, the school offers many opportunities for underclassmen and upperclassmen to become acquainted. There are quarterly pep rallies, theater productions, and many other events, but school dances are the greatest chances for the different grades to mix.
Excluding two formal dances for high school students and one promotion dance for the eighth grade, school dances have always been open to all grade levels. Any student can enjoy the dances while passing time with younger or older students. However, there has never been a dance exclusively held for the middle school-aged students.
The dance is scheduled to be on January 30, which is the day of Winter Formal for high school students and the last day of final tests. Titled “Sunset Boulevard,” it will serve as a bonding opportunity, celebration for the end of final tests, and fundraiser. The profit earned from the event will be used for the eighth grade promotion dance at the end of the school year.
The heads of the event, eighth grade president Stella Linardi and vice president Eunice Park, stated that their goal is to make the middle school students feel as special as possible.
Samantha Lee, Associated Student Body (ASB) Director of Dances and Assemblies, praised the idea, saying, “I think it’s a great idea! High school kids have two exclusive dances so it’s nice to have something special for being in middle school.”
In an interview with JSR, seventh grader Denise Chan said that she looks forward to the event.
“A middle school dance would be nice,” Chan stated, “because when seniors are at dances, my friends and I get shy and are scared of bumping into them.”
