By Reyna Nguyen
The music was loud, the lights were bright, my friends were singing and I was having a great time at an event I had been discouraged from going to a year earlier.
For many people, freshman year is about trying new experiences: going to football games, dances or homecoming. However, my freshman year, I missed out on a lot of these first-time experiences because my older friends told me it was “a waste of time.” Instead of going to these events with my other friends, I stayed home. After all, wasn’t it better to be alone than embarrass myself going to that “lame” dance?
This year, I was persuaded to go to the Aloha Dance by one of my friends who’d gone before. She said it was really fun and thought that I would enjoy it.
Leading up to the event, my other friends were telling me that the dance was going to be boring, the seniors weren’t going to let me in the mosh pit and that I would waste twenty dollars. I became wary of the event, and I went in thinking I would regret going.
Right when my friends and I walked in, adorned with leis from ASB, we went straight to the glitter tattoo station. After that, we walked around, talked to some other people and took pictures. That said, I was still apprehensive about the event and was ready to text my parents to come pick me up as soon as possible.
Then, the DJ started playing music, and everyone immediately started to gather around the speakers. My friends and I walked over while the music blasted. Everyone was standing around until one person jumped in the middle of the crowd and started dancing. We all cheered him on and started dancing ourselves. After dancing and singing along to a couple of songs, I was having the time of my life.
My friends and I danced the whole time, only stopping to get water and to regain our balance so we weren’t trampled in the mosh pit. When we were walking out the school gates at the end of the dance, I was so glad I went.
I was so surprised I had that good of a time at a dance so many people had talked me out of. It made me wonder how many other people miss out on these fun experiences because their friends said it would be boring.
I think we diminish the importance of going to these events. Yes, they’re about school spirit and hanging out with friends, but going to school events and being connected to one’s school can help students in unexpected ways.
An article by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention touches on this topic. Student academic performance, attendance rates, and mental health greatly improve when students feel connected to their school. Additionally, students are at a lower risk of substance abuse and violence when they have school connectedness. In other words, going to these events can provide a feeling of connection, and connection has real, measurable advantages.
Despite these benefits, some students still don’t want to participate in school events.
Us teenagers tend to flock to “the crowd” because it’s safe and makes you feel just like everyone else. But to stay into the crowd, to fit in, we must do what others tell us to. If a certain style is over, no one wears it. If going to the dance is for losers, you’re staying at home.
We are so scared to stand out or deviate from what the majority says, so we let them dictate our lives and decisions. In turn, we miss out on great experiences that are truly beneficial.
However, if you are willing to break away and step outside of your comfort zone a little bit, going to school events can be an amazing experience. School events give you a sense of belonging, because no matter if you are cheering in the stands at a football game or having the best time at a dance, one thing unites us all: we’re Barons.
