One way to stay involved while in school is to attend social events, such as the various dances throughout the school year. Edmond Memorial High School students attended the annual Fall Ball dance on Nov. 11, ending with many mixed reviews.
Many did not have high expectations for the event because of the issues at last year’s dance, ranging from the crowded venue to temperature complaints. Despite the lack of optimism, a large number of students showed their faces at this year’s Fall Ball.
Some enjoyed Fall Ball and had the time of their life while at the dance. One of the students who enjoyed the dance was sophomore Jamari Blue. He liked the theme, along with the decorations that went with it.
“The music, dancing and atmosphere made it a nice place to be in,” Blue said. “I also loved the lights and decorations that they put up.”
The Fall Ball theme this year was Starry Night, meaning they had lots of darker colors, stringed lights and shimmery backdrops. Many attendees agreed that this was a really good idea for decoration.
Some students, however, were not able to experience this opinion. Ava Engelke, another student at EMHS, did not attend the Fall Ball, citing disinterest in attending a dance held in the school cafeteria instead of an outside venue. Although Engelke did not attend the festivities, she still had her own fun by hosting a party with other students who did not want to take part in the dance.
“Do not get me wrong: I love dances, but I did not feel like that was something I wanted to spend my Saturday night doing,” Engelke said.
Engelke was not the only one to have complaints about the dance’s location, the school’s lower commons. Nia Bledsoe is another student who felt apprehensive about attending the festivities, but she still decided to go.
“Since it was at the school, people didn’t feel as special towards the event like last year,” Bledsoe said. “We go here every day for hours and getting to see your friends and peers outside of school at a social event is what I feel like defines Fall Ball.”
Besides the location issue, Bledsoe had an extremely fun time. She appreciated all the hard work that went into the dance.
“My experience with Fall Ball was positive; I liked hanging out with people before and after the event,” Bledsoe said.
One thing that goes unnoticed about school dances is the supervision of the teachers. One teacher from EMHS who supervised was Brook Bullock. He enjoyed himself tremendously and was even caught dancing to a few songs.
“It is hard for me to stay still when there’s a great beat or an up-tempo tune, so when I see students enjoying that time with friends, it’s wonderful,” Bullock said.
While that was not the only thing Bullock liked, he had the perspective of a school dance as a teacher and was wildly amazed by the great comments he heard.
“I overheard students liking the feel of the red carpet entry with the velvet ropes,” Bullock said. “The giant EMHS lighted letters are always a favorite. The lighting scheme on the dance floor was also very cool.”
Another person who appreciated the DJ’s work was senior Piper Bailey. She liked the newer songs he incorporated but missed some of the originals.
“Although the DJ was pretty good, some throwbacks like ‘Hit the Quan’ would have made the night,” Bailey said.
Since Bailey is a senior, she believes this Fall Ball was a nice way to end her high school experience due to how much fun she had with friends and the positivity of the environment.
With all that being said, the outcome of Fall Ball was a success. While there were mixed reviews from the students and teachers, most everyone enjoyed themselves with the atmosphere filled with music, laughter and unforgettable memories being made.
Contact Anna Vitiello at [email protected]
