Celebrating the Start of School with Back in Black

Last Saturday night, rainbow-hued lights flickered above the crowd and loud music blasted out of the speakers in Grainger Auditorium as students enjoyed the first dance of the school year.  Hosted by Dunbar Hall, the dance, called Back in Black, gives students the opportunity to wear glow-sticks provided by the dorm and enjoy Oreos, chocolate-covered strawberries, lemonade and other snacks.

“[The students] were shocked by the intensity of dance, and as a returning student, I felt an obvious energy shift.”

Dunbar residents said that they enjoyed preparing for the dance just as much as they enjoyed the event itself.  Senior Tricia Moriarty, Dunbar resident and proctor, set up Back in Black with 25 dormmates.  They strung black crépe party streamers in the foyer of the science building, organized the food and drinks and checked to make sure the music system was in place. “Set up is always fun,” Moriarty said. “Many hands made light work, and eventually got us back into the dorm sooner to get dressed and ready together.”The dance also featured international DJ Jasmine Solano, who has DJ’d for MTV, Sony, Apple, MoMA and DKNY and has toured with pop artist Wiz Khalifa. Solano has previously hosted Back in Black, and students were excited for her return.“I think that we are very fortunate to have her here at Exeter because she is an up-and-coming DJ in the celebrity world,” Moriarty said. “She recently DJ’d major events like the X Games and has spreads in People magazine.”Senior Mila DeGuere, also a proctor in Dunbar Hall, thought that Solano was a good DJ for the event.  “I liked the DJ!” she said. “Though she cut off a few songs in the middle, I think she did a good job of bringing the crowd up and down with songs that were able to match the mood.”Despite Solano’s acclaim, some students felt that the music didn’t totally match the mood of the dance. “I really liked the environment but I wasn’t a fan of the music this year,” said upper Stearns Weil. Senior Molly O’Day agreed.  “I didn’t like the music the DJ played as much this year. It wasn’t always the right song for the vibe of the room,” O’Day said. Many students complained that the transitions between songs were often too early or too abrupt, which some felt ruined the flow of the dancing.One difference between this year’s Back in Black dance compared to previous years’ dances was the number of people in attendance. “I thought it was a fun atmosphere although there seemed to be a lot more people than in years past,” said O’Day. This may have been because in previous years sports teams would be off campus on the day of the dance. “Compared to years past, I saw a lot of faces from a variety of grades, which was awesome,” said Moriarty. “Last year, a few teams were off campus for a portion of the dance, so we missed a good chunk of people. That wasn’t the case this year.”This year, Exonians really let loose, and many students noticed the intensity of the dance. “[The students] were shocked by the intensity of dance, and as a returning student, I felt an obvious energy shift,” said upper Katie Yang. Moriarty agreed, attributing it to the increase in people at the dance, “The general atmosphere was very positive—it was probably the most people I’ve seen at Back in  Black in my time at Exeter, and everyone seemed to be really enjoying themselves.”However, others found the energy invasive and pushy. “I didn’t like the pushing in the middle,” said senior Jordan Hillyard. “I didn’t think that happened in years past.” O’Day also noticed an increase in jostling at the dance, saying, “there seemed to be a lot more people than in years past, which led to a lot of shoving and less room for dancing.”Before the dance, many posters could be seen around the school encouraging a message of consent before dancing or “grinding” with someone. Some students believed that not enough of that message made its way onto the dance floor. “I did notice that there was less asking about if someone could dance with another in comparison to last year,” upper Elizabeth Yang said. Her sister Katie Yang agreed, saying, “I was surprised with the lack of conversation leading up to the event in comparison to last year.” Moriarty talked about the decision made by the proctor team. “We decided that it was OK for there to be consensual grinding at our dance,” said Moriarty. “I believe that chaperones respected and supported this decision.”As the dance began, the Dunbar residents could be heard all around campus as they made their way to Grainger Auditorium. Being the first dance of the school year really helps set the tone for our dorm and increase dorm bonding,” said Elizabeth Yang. “It is a good opportunity for the new girls to be excited about living in Dunbar and to realize how great their family and support group on campus is.”