All of us here at Eagle Rock have been to a school dance or, at the very least, a theme reveal. Gathering outside the cafeteria, cheering as the music plays, and counting down as students unveil the banner that shows the theme of an upcoming dance are all common habits of an ERHS student. We scramble and shove as candy falls to the ground, balloons popping as they get trampled, the sound of yelling and screaming deafening. Maybe you’re one of the students who dashes over to the ticket sale line to get your pass as soon as possible. Or maybe you’re watching from a distance, avoiding the chaos and hoping your friends grabbed you some candy. But in this mayhem, do any of us take a moment and honestly look at the banner?
Sure, we pause just long enough to read the words and glance at the art displayed as we shove as many sweets as possible into our pockets. But do we actually look? If you have, you would have noticed how much effort has gone into that small banner alone. Maybe you saw the crazy detail, the intricate paint job, and the hours that must have taken to finish this for all of us. Well, it’s all thanks to ASB.
For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, ASB, or Associated Student Body, is generally the reason Eagle Rock has had all its fun events. Dances, fundraisers, quad games, and more are a culmination of the hard work and effort of this class. When students sign up for ASB, they dedicate their time, energy, and sometimes even their money.
In the months leading up to school dances, ASB students work tirelessly. Every day after school, you will find almost all of the class packed into room S2 painting, drawing, and planning for the monumental undertaking of a dance. They need to plan everything down to a tee—the food, the music, the photo booth, the decorations, and even what the bathrooms will look like. They pull it off every time, but it takes a lot of work.
These few months dedicated to the dances have proved to be not only draining but extremely stressful. The Vice President of the dance committee, Amber, can attest to this: “It isn't just because of the dance but because we have to balance it with our school work. Part of being dance VP means I have to take work home, so I definitely get less sleep around dance season.” As if that wasn’t enough, an ASB member that asked to be anonymous said that they probably spent 30-35 hours on the theme reveal alone and undoubtedly even more on the dance itself.
And when asked if their stress increases around dance season, I got a resounding “yes.” Former ASB student Sophie says, “There was just a really high expectation of what the dance had to be like, and I got really stressed wondering if we were gonna be able to pull it off.” Board member and commissioner of the dance committee, Xochitl Berber, said, “Very much. It’s a lot of paperwork months in advance. Solo work, group effort, and time. I find my stress increases when critiqued about something the students don’t like about the dance.”
So, take a moment right now to stop and remember your last Eagle Rock dance experience—whether it was the Winter Formal last Saturday or a previous one—think of the music, the photo booth, the decorations, the food and drinks. Think of the months of effort that go into an event lasting four hours and the huge amounts of added stress. Eagle Rock would not be the same without the Associated Student Body, and although we might sometimes forget it, ASB is an integral part of this school’s community. So, ASB, all of us here at ERHS appreciate everything you do for us. Thank you.