BY NORA CHARLES, FEATURES EDITOR
This Friday evening from 7:00-11:45 p.m., Wilson will be hosting a Back to School Dance in the atrium. The first dance of the year is traditionally Homecoming, but this year the varsity basketball players and coaches decided that a dance at the very start of the school year would be a great fundraising opportunity.
The teams are planning trips to Atlanta over Christmas break and to Philadelphia over the Martin Luther King holiday weekend to participate in tournaments. “There are very competitive teams in those areas and we would like to give our young men and young women experiences outside of this area,” says Nadira Ricks, varsity girls basketball coach and a ninth grade dean of students.
“Since we do not have a set budget for Basketball Programs, we have to be creative about fundraising.” Ricks explains. Last year the teams raised enough money from carwashes and bake sales that they could travel to Philadelphia for the same tournament they hope to return to this year.
Dean of Students Angelo Hernandez proposed the idea for the dance to the Student Government Association, which was immediately on board and began selling tickets this past week. Unfamiliar with the idea of a casual “Back to School Dance,” students did not jump to buy tickets despite energetic players trying to drive students to the selling table. In response, the SGA dropped the price from $10 to $5 last week, which spurred more students to reach for the golden tickets. Seniors are in the lead in terms of the number of tickets purchased, while freshmen have bought the fewest. (I guess it is the natural order of things.)
Administrators like Ricks found the idea of a dance enticing. “We recognize that first year 9th graders are trying to establish their social circle and having a dance before Homecoming is a way to get them to become more social with our upperclassmen and meet new students.” she says.
The varsity basketball teams have plans to make the dance live. They have a new DJ lined up who is going to play all types of music and will be open to any specific song requests. They also plan to sell snacks. All students are encouraged to wear their class colors– seniors will wear black, juniors will wear white, sophomores will wear green, and freshman will wear orange.
The SGA will continue to sell tickets through next week at lunch and after school in the atrium, but the price is back to $10. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the door. Don’t forget to bring your DC-ONE card and your ticket (and hair ties, chapstick, or bottles of water).
PHOTO COURTESY OF NORA CHARLES
