SLHS’s winter dance is leadership’s way to bring social awareness to mental health while giving students a reprieve from school stress.
Sophomore Olivia Seaton, a leadership student involved with planning, shared the reason they decided to bring back the Snow Ball dance. She believes it is important for students to get a break from school, especially as they enter into the second half of the year when classes become more challenging.
“It’s supposed to be an activity students can look forward to when the school year is really far away from ending,” Seaton said. “Our goal is to bring awareness to the fact that winter can be really hard for students.”
The leading cause of depression in highschool students is an accumulated amount of stress usually as a result of an increase in homework, fewer hours of sunlight, and cold weather that limits many outdoor activities, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Many students may feel more fatigued during the winter months as well. The dance aimed to give students a way to relax with their friends.
“It’s an issue at our school, and I think it’s great that they’re addressing it,” sophomore Zaria Khan said. Khan is also a part of the leadership program, and she believes that mental health is an important topic for high school students.
The dance included a hot chocolate station where you could get a variety of toppings, and a walk-in inflatable snow globe photo-op. There were also ping pong tables and a movie showing in the lecture hall with seats to sit. There was an in-person DJ and you were able to dance in the gym.
Leadership went a step further to encourage attendance by providing semi-formal wear to anyone in need.
The dance had a turnout of about 400 people and enough profits were made for money to be donated. Leadership hopes to bring the dance back next year and make a tradition of the Snow Ball Dance which will bring more attention to it.
“I liked being able to dress up and go to an event with my friend,” Luella Adams, a freshman who attended the dance, said. Adams mentioned that she enjoyed the snow globe and hot chocolate that was provided at the dance. However, she thought that the experience was not worth the $15 tickets.
“The tickets should have been a lot cheaper.” Adams said.
