Back in Black
The first thing that hit you when you walked into Grainger on Saturday night was the music. It reverberated in your chest, ricocheted around your stomach and buzzed out through your fingertips. Then the smell and the heat came in waves off the clump of sweaty dancers in the middle of the dance floor. This is Back in Black, the annunal dance Dunbar Hall hosts.
Many traditional aspects of the dance remained the same this year. The planning, decorations and even the DJ were the same as last year. However, Rabbi Marx-Asch, Dunbar dorm head, mentioned that Dunbar residents decided to “open up the wall to use the whole of Grainger as it was too crowded last year only using half the room.”
“I liked to see people happy and having fun.”
Dunbar resident and upper Tricia Moriarty was proud of the turnout at Back in Black. Dunbar members arrived in Grainger at 6:30 p.m. and spent two hours setting up the stage, decorations and lights. “Setting up was super fun, we all got together and sang and danced while putting up stars, streamers and blowing up balloons,” Moriarty said. Just like at Wheelwright Whiteout, Abbot Casino and Soule Tea, setting up for dorm-hosted events always provides an opportunity for dorm bonding.
Since last year, there have been concerns among the staff and students alike with the sexual climate of Back in Black. Grinding has been an issue in the past, so in anticipation of the dance, Feminist Club began spreading the “Ask First” campaign, which promotes consensual partner dancing. Dunbar met as a dorm several times in the last week to discuss what they could do as students to promote fun and safe dancing. Rabbi also sent an email to the entire dorm, with one section explicitly saying that if anyone found herself in any uncomfortable situation, to ask help from an adult, friend or Dunbar proctor, and that school rules pertaining to unExonian-like conduct, drugs and alcohol still applied at the dance.
Even though measures were taken this year to avoid non-consensual grinding, some students still found the nature of the dance disrespectful. Upper April Murphy avoided Back in Black this year because of the discomfort she felt last year. “I think that at the dance, girls in particular face disrespect from the opposite sex. I know multiple girls including myself who experienced uncomfortable circumstances, mainly non-consensual grinding, even with measures taken by the faculty and Dunbar volunteers,” Murphy said.
On the other hand, when new students were asked what they had heard about the dance in advance, the reputation of Back in Black seemed to be a lot more scandalous than it turned out to be. Prep Izzi Robbins explained that she “was expecting it to be a lot more provocative.” Prep Sebastian Beck, when asked whether or not the dance lived up to his expectations said, “The dancing was actually fun and good, and everything I expected. I heard you should ask permission before you grind on someone, and that the music is okay.”
One downside, several students mentioned, was the quality of the DJ. Beck also commented, “I didn’t like how the DJ never dropped the beat and kept switching to different songs.”
Despite the fact that some people were not entirely pleased with the feel of Back in Black, Dunbar has worked hard to try improve the atmosphere by creating an event that is both fun and safe. Many people, including upper Pedro Sanson, enjoyed the dorm unity aspect and walking over with his own dorm. “I liked to see people happy and having fun,” Sanson said.