The Back to School dance was attended by 212 MacArthur students in the P.A.R. and the quad on September 27, from 2:45 to 4:30 PM. The dance was a fundraiser for RunStrong, which is a running club, and the proceeds will go to the end-of-the-year plaques and awards. The dance had a superhero theme. 

“I think the superhero theme does affect attendance. People can wear a superhero shirt, and even if they don’t, the games were fun and had a superhero theme,” said Runstrong Coach Dr. David Diaz.

All dances are fundraisers. A different club hosts each dance throughout the year. Clubs get money from the tickets sold, the games, and photo booth. The snack bar is run by the Parent Faculty Organization, P.F.O., who also run the student store. 

Seventh-grader Sean S. was a fan of the snack bar and said, “I’m just doing it (attending the dance) for the pizza.  I’ll come to the next one because it’s better.”  The second dance is the Halloween Dance, which is the most well-attended because of the haunted maze and costumes.

Aside from dancing and the snack bar, the Back-to-School Dance also had table tennis tables, cornhole, a balloon stomping game, bowling, potato-sack races, and a marble toss.  Games cost one or two tickets to play, and the tickets were on sale for four for a dollar.  The photobooth cost a $1 ticket and students could get a print, similar to a Polaroid.  

Even with all these games, for many, the food and dance were the reason for attending.  Seventh-grader Dominic C. said “all the food and music” were the reasons for entering the dance. 

Dancing was the main activity for the event.  There were flashing lights, music, and people dancing inside the P.A.R.  The D.J. for the first dance was Mr. Giovanni Aguilar, plant custodian for MacArthur.  The dance cost $5 for a ticket when students bought on Tuesday through Thursday.  On Friday, the day of the dance, the tickets cost $7.  

Seventh-grader Diego V. “confidence” when we asked what it would take for him to get on the dance floor.