OPINION BY LINDSAY CARR

With the start of a new year, the start of a new rule has come to attention of school administrators. Previously, anyone under the age of 21 could attend school dances with the proper paperwork. As of recently, student council and school administrators have out ruled the privilege of alumni and guests from other schools attending Winter Formal on March 3.

“This dance will stand as a trial run, and no decisions have been made regarding future dances such as homecoming,” discussed Mr. Moore.

The only dance that has fixed rules is Prom, in which no rules will be changed, and seniors are still permitted to bring outside guests.

Administration has come to re-evaluate school dance rules for several reasons. One being that chaperones at the dance have come in conflict with older people at dances refusing to abide by school rules.

A vast majority of issues are from outside guests, and that is because they do not know or respect the chaperones.

There are many outsiders who came to the dances; 200 out of 1,200 students were not students at WHS which created an overcrowding issue.

“Overcrowding is also a issue, which may result in things like the speakers blowing out, as seen at homecoming last October,” said Mr. Moore.

Since there are many issues that involve outside students, allowing alumni would be the easiest compromise among the administrators and students.

Not allowing alumni has benefits, but it also has many downsides.

Many juniors and seniors are dating people that have already graduated. Therefore, it is very likely they will want to spend the weekend of a dance with their significant others rather than at the dance. This leaves students most likely unattended when they could be chaperoned at a school sanctioned event.

Dances are one of high school student’s favorite things to do, and one of the biggest sources of school spirit. Many complain that school spirit is already low, and many students will stop going to dances because they cannot take whomever they please as their date, therefore, it is likely school spirit will decrease.

Less people attending dances will also decrease the profit the school makes from hosting dances. Many activities at WHS, like student council and choir, earn a lot of their profit from hosting dances. That money is then cycled back into the student body. Therefore, the less money they make, the less money for other student events.

Obviously alumni were once students at WHS, and should know what is expected of them and how to behave at dances. They also have respect for their school and will not want to act out in front of all their former teachers and peers.