As upperclassmen enjoy junior and senior prom, two highly anticipated traditions that mark important moments in the high school journey, underclassmen have patiently awaited their turn. But this spring, the Class of 2026 took matters into their own hands, organizing one of the first sophomore dances in recent Upper School (US) history on April 14.
The Tenth Grade Student Council and the Dance Committee, along with US Sophomore Grade Dean and English Teacher David Scrivner, planned and organized the event, raising funds and deciding on a theme: “The Great Gatsby. “
Dr. Scrivner gave all credit for the dance’s creation to the tenth- grade student government, he said.
“The Student Council knew they wanted to have a dance. It was one of the first things we talked about. I think a lot of members in leadership ran on the idea of a dance last year, and they wanted to deliver on that promise.”
The council members proposed the idea of creating a dance committee, which was instrumental in the success and efficiency of planning the event, he said.
“The thought of having a dance committee was entirely their idea, and I think it was integral in having the dance operate so smoothly.”
Although the idea needed approval on multiple levels, Dr. Scrivner said the process was easier than anticipated.
“It honestly didn’t take much to get the dance signed off on. The school was really happy to help. I ran this by US Dean of Students Rory Morton, and he was excited and immediately said, ‘Yes, let’s make this happen.’”
The sophomore dance could not have happened without the help of a few other people, Dr. Scrivner said.
“The dance really highlighted the work that so many US faculty members put into their job every day. In this instance particularly, Catering Coordinator DeborahLaing, Facilities Event Coordinator Diane Cannata, and Assistant to the US Director Rachel Efstathion devoted so much time and energy.”
Although the administration approved the Student Council’s plans, the Dance Committee was not given funding, so the sophomore class raised money in a variety of ways.
“There were some early bake sales that the sophomores ran, the Celtics fundraiser raised a ton of money, and the dance tickets sold themselves,” Dr. Scrivner said.
Dance Committee Member Denali Weaver ’26 saw a sense of uncertainty and lack of excitement from her classmates leading up to dance, she said.
“I think a lot of students ended up having a great time at the dance, but they weren’t really sure about how fun it would be with this being the first sophomore dance and school dances having a bad reputation in general.”
The dance committee only had one month to plan for the event, which gave them a lot to do without a lot of time, Denali said.
Because the dance was the first of its kind, there were no guidelines for what it should look like, so the committee decided to create a theme, Denali explained.
“We debated a ton of different themes, and a lot of the ideas felt basic and overused, so someone came with the idea of ‘The Great Gatsby’ because that was something that all tenth graders read, and I think that it ended up being a good choice.”
As the term of the former student government members comes to an end, the Class of 2026 appreciates the dedication and time put into making a memorable experience for the tenth grade, she said.
” Whether people helped organize the dance or not, I think the Student Council really did everything to make a great experience for our grade. I think this is going to be one of those events that leave a lasting impression on the Class of 2026.”
