Benilde-St. Margaret’s is kicking off the new semester with the annual Winter Formal Valentine Dance. Students get the chance to enjoy a night full of music, time with friends, and Valentine’s Day-themed decorations. Unlike the school’s homecoming dance and prom, the winter dance does not require students to stay until a certain time. Students will be free to depart at whatever time they choose. The new freedom given to those attending comes with changes to the responsibilities of teacher chaperones, different expectations from students, and impacted attendance rates.
After chaperoning BSM’s Winter Formal last year and a few dances from previous schools, English teacher Jason Schwalen explained the responsibilities administrators expect teachers to fulfill. He explained how teachers find themselves de-escalating unsafe situations, monitoring for injuries or dangerous behavior, and watching exits. Schwalen found that BSM was the first school where he’s seen students line up at the door to leave. He detailed how he expects this to lead to a lower attendance rate. “I don’t know if people are even going to make the bother or they’re going to step into the dance, grab something to eat and immediately step out,” Schwalen said.
Junior Rihanna Contreras Cortes enjoyed the old departure requirement as she enjoys staying at the dance for at least an hour or two. She stays at dances past the departure requirements, so she pays little attention to them. In fact, Contreras Cortes was not even aware of the change until the week of the dance. She believes making this change may lead to an increase in attendance and plans to likely attend herself. “I think…since the people have more freedom, they might just stay longer,” said Contreras Cortes.
While some members of the BSM community expect that adjusting students’ freedom for departure will make the dance more crowded, others expect students to simply not attend at all. Senior Kaylin Konkoly-Thege finds herself frustrated by seeing everyone leave early. She decided to not attend the Winter Formal at all this year, explaining how she does not even view it as a real dance. She believes that without any court or form of crowning, and with it falling in her already busy winter season, she sees no reason to attend. “It’s not hyped up enough,” Konkoly-Thege said.
While students and teachers have varying opinions on how effective the modification will be and how essential it is, those interviewed tended to agree that the Winter Formal tends to have low attendance rates. In order to combat this lack of participation, multiple students considered how the school could increase attendance. “Maybe more like emphasis on the party [would help],” Contreras Cortes said.