After canceling the Christmas dance, many are wondering what will happen to future dances. In an interview with Principal Shaw, he shared what happened at Bingham Ball and what is being done to prevent the misbehaviors and dangers. There are new rules being put into place for Sweethearts to keep the dances fun but safe.

Students moshing is one of the problems at the dances. Moshing can be very fun, and many like to do it, but it can go too far. During Bingham Ball, the moshes became dangerous. Some had concussions and injuries from boutonniere throwing. Some experienced sexual assault, and others were scared and uncomfortable. The environment became unsafe, and Principal Shaw will not let it happen again. “The safety of the students is our highest priority. We want the students to have fun but also stay safe,” Shaw said. The administration and the student body officers worked together to create new rules to keep dances and safety.

The sexual assault charges are very serious concerns for the administration. It can give the victim life-long trauma. Getting charged with sexual assault goes onto a permanent record, no matter the age. If you have been a victim of sexual assault, there is help. Report it to a friend, a counselor, or another trusted adult. The administration and counselors want to help.

One of the new rules is that if the dance becomes a possible safety hazard, the music will stop and they will take a five-minute break. It gives people time to settle a bit and start again—hopefully this time in a way that doesn’t have a chance of injury. This pause will only happen once. If things get dangerous again, the dance will end and we might lose prom, an activity many high schoolers have looked forward to for years.

The administration has made other changes in hopes of being successful. Lights will stay on, more security and surveillance will be provided, and a help table will be available to anyone who needs it to report behavior or to get help as a result of something that happened while dancing.

Principal Shaw gave some advice to students who want dances to continue at Bingham. “You cannot control what other students do. You need to police yourself if you want to continue dances.” The administration is hopeful that with the new dance rules, they can narrow down who is actually causing the problems and allow everyone else to continue to enjoy themselves. Remember, have fun, enjoy yourself, and stay safe!