When I tried to write a story about the most recent spring dance, I had no idea of the obstacles I would face. Devastated by flu the previous day, I didn’t attend the Saturday first dance, and when I returned to my beat, I was surprised to find that most of the school didn’t either. Finding an interview, or even a single line about what occurred in the Pumadome proved challenging.

Molly Hwang, one of the few people who wanted to attend, was unable to go due to illness.

“I ended up not going because I got sick,” Hwang said when I interviewed her.

Further inquiries to other students flew nowhere. I was told by several students that they had no interest in going to the spring dance. After four days of searching and emailing, I finally found a student who actually wanted to dance.

Sophomore Gabe Granby talked at length about how few attended the spring dance. 

“There were maybe twenty, thirty people,” Granby said. “So it was a very small, quiet dance. The atmosphere was very quiet, especially with most of the people there not dancing. A lot of the time they were just talking in small groups.” 

Granby also thinks that his enjoyment was limited by the heavy presence of faculty.

“There was a line of eight or ten teachers, which was way more than we needed,” Granby said. “Any time I’d glance over I’d see one of two of them directly looking towards where me and my friends were, which felt weird at times.”

Student government, who organized the dance, faced criticism from Granby. 

“Everything felt very last second, like we didn’t have any puma pride, like we couldn’t get people to come to our dances.” Granby said. 

From the lack of attendees to the lack of Puma Pride, it may be that students at UPrep just don’t want to dance.