Until recent changes, there were no dances hosted by the school, but students don’t let that stop them. From proms on porches to homecoming dances in driveways, many students have been creative with the ways that they’ve tried to recreate these events.  Makeshift dances have become the new trend, but are they safe?

Jane, a junior here at Copper Hills, was devastated when she heard that there wasn’t a homecoming dance being hosted by the school. Her and a group of friends decided to get creative and make their own, but COVID made it more difficult: “I actually got COVID the week we were supposed to go, so we had to reschedule.” 

Families of the students were concerned, so they made sure that Jane and her friends were careful with the things that they did. “We had a few parents who were paranoid about COVID, especially since I had just had it. We had to change our plans,” she said. 

Usually on the day of the dance, the group spends the whole day together. They start the day off with breakfast and a “day date.” A “day date” is an activity to get to know your date and group better. Typically groups may go to arcades or even paint. Jane and her friends had to modify the way that they did things. Instead of going to an arcade or painting, Jane and her group did an activity outside due to the concern of their families. “We had to worry about the amount of people in our group and the places we could go. We went for a hike because my friends’ parents didn’t want us going somewhere too populated,” said Jane. 

 “I had a ton of fun, and I actually liked it more than school dances. It was hard to get everyone together because of quarantine, restrictions, etc., but overall, it was less stressful because we knew it could just be chill,” Jane said.

Because of COVID, there have been many changes. Though there was an increased amount of caution and planning that went into the dance, does it mean that it is still okay? “Encouraging students to host their own out-of-school activities that are not compliant with the Local Health Department and CDC guidelines is a NO!” said Vice Principal Varga. He continued, “Nearly 100% of our positive cases at CHHS have resulted from out-of-school exposure. A rare few are resultant from classroom exposures.” It is very difficult to make sure that students, faculty, and staff are following recommended guidelines outside of school.  “Students outside of school hours and off school grounds are going to make their own decisions. We have to trust that our students, teachers, and parents have provided enough guidance for them to make wise decisions on their own.”

Students must be smart about what they do outside of school, as their decisions affect our COVID case count and the lives of others. It all goes back to the simple recommendations that have been put into place to keep us safe. Make sure that you are practicing physical distancing and wearing a mask unless you are by yourself or only with members of your same household. Also, gatherings should be limited to 10 or fewer. If we work together and follow these simple guidelines, COVID will have a smaller impact on our community.