Countless hours of tedious and time-consuming work goes into implementing the safety and security of the student body at Carlmont’s Winter Formal.
Over 1000 students attend this dance each year, and, to secure a safe environment, the staff and adult volunteers must handle many responsibilities to ensure the dance proceeds as planned.
Samantha Day, supervisor of the Associated Student Body’s (ASB) Dance Commission, and her fellow commission members have been planning the dance since October of 2019. The Dance Commission is very capable of the creation and management of the dance; however, the dance could not proceed without the help of the administration and staff.
“The administration is a huge help, and they keep students safe while dancing, and during check-in, they make sure everybody has nothing illegal,” Day said.
An adult presence is essential to control any mishaps or unruly students, as a student supervisor would not be able to command with the same respect from the student body. Without adult supervision, the dance could not take place, and the safety of the students would be at risk.
On top of the administration, parent volunteers are present at the dance to provide additional assistance and to carry out various other responsibilities such as running coat check and making sure students have a ride home.
Sharon Smith, a Carlmont parent, volunteers because she does not get many service opportunities and because it’s a great way to participate in and contribute to school events.
“Our responsibilities are to drive kids home, making sure the right coats get to the right kids, and to ensure everyone is safe with no use of any illegal substances,” Smith said.
“Witnessing how things work and how they are organized in ASB, I believe they can make a dance happen without the administration getting involved.
— Ralph Crame
ASB Supervisor and Activities Director Jim Kelly has full belief that ASB could host and manage the Winter Formal Dance, excluding adult and volunteer assistance. However, this is not possible for various legal and safety concerns, as explained by Kelly.
“Many things, like this dance, in ASB are almost 100% student-run other than signing contracts and providing security, which I have to handle as an adult. Besides that, they are completely able to run the dance all on their own,” Kelly said.
The Dance Commission now must start the preparations for an even more significant event, Prom, where the event is more challenging to regulate, and more security is necessary.
Even though ASB is capable of running the dances by themselves, it is evident that all the staff and adult volunteers play a vital role in the production of each dance.
