Though the COVID-19 pandemic started in March of 2020, there is an event Casa Grande has not experienced since October of 2019: a school dance. 

It has been close to two years since Casa has hosted a dance that welcomes all four grade levels. Homecoming of 2019 was the last time Casa students got dressed up and ready to dance, seeing as Winter Formal was cancelled that year due to poor behavior during Homecoming. At that time, school dances were inside; however, the pandemic has shifted the dance tradition to a football field event, much like prom of 2021.

Casa’s ASB has been working hard to plan dances for this year, starting with the Color by Class dance, coming up on Saturday night, September 25th. 

Senior Kylie Carlomagno has been a vital part of this journey, as she is the Senior Class President for the Class of 2022. Though she has only been in leadership since her junior year, she has taken full advantage of her time in the class: she was the Junior Vice President last year and the Senior President this year, as well as a member of the ASB board. 

“I just really wanted to have a role in leadership. That way, I can have more of a voice and represent our class,” said Carlomagno.

She adds that the hardest part of leadership is getting everyone in the class involved and making sure they are comfortable with the decisions being made, and that COVID-19 only served to make this worse. With few possibilities for events last year, a focus of the class was to bring leadership students together; now back in person, they are focused on connecting students on a school-wide level through things like school dances. 

“We want to keep our school spirit up and make sure everyone feels like they have a place here,” said Carlomagno.

Carlomagno shared her experience with the process of creating school dances this year, comparing dances her freshman year and now to fully understand the effects of COVID-19 on the dance environment. She notes that dances in the past were exciting, energetic, and in the gym. Though the former two will likely continue to be true, dances in the gym are a thing of the past for now. 

As previously stated, dances will be held on the football field this year, with mandatory masks and multiple activities to replace the DJ a gym dance would have. Leadership has organized with the Booster Club to get the snack shack, and there will be a big photo booth with a professional photographer. Despite the amenities available this year, some students might feel frustrated that the dances will be outside; however, being inside isn’t an option because the close quarters are a COVID risk.

“We really wanted to be inside the gym just because it seemed like a better idea and everyone’s used to that. Having it on the football field is definitely hard because I’ve heard some negative feedback from that, but we’re just hoping that everyone realizes that we have to take a new route to things because of COVID, and so we’re hoping for one of the best dances yet,” said Carlomagno.

“I just hope that everyone has a positive and open mind about the school year and all the activities that come with it, because even though there are going to be some changes and some obstacles that we’re going to have to overcome, we will do it. We just want everyone to come together and really have a positive mindset about what is yet to come in this amazing school year,” added Carlomagno.

With the Color By Class dance fast approaching, students and faculty will see ASB’s vision for a COVID-safe school dance come to life. With new activities going on and two grades worth of students who haven’t attended a dance at our school before, it will definitely be an important event.