First Dance of the year: Back in Black

Music boomed out of the speakers in Grainger Auditorium as students danced and sang along to their favorite songs. Disco lights flashed across the dark room. Students lost themselves in the music surrounding them and sweat dripped onto the dance floor. Last Saturday, Dunbar Hall’s Back in Black welcomed students back to the Academy’s rhythm of work and play.The day prior to the dance, over 80 students showed up to their classes wearing black t-shirts printed with the simple slogan “Got Consent?” In a collaboration between Dunbar Hall and Exonians Against Sexual Assault (EASA), the t-shirts served to “remind people that we want to create a safe environment where we can all have fun,” senior and EASA cohead Jane Collins said. In the past, EASA has posted flyers and posters around campus in the days leading up to Back in Black to discourage unwanted sexual contact during dances. According to senior and EASA cohead Lulu Ezekwenna, this year EASA worked to make this message more personalized for new students and underclassmen. “We wanted everyone to look at these shirts and not only see our message but also see the person wearing the shirt and think ‘Oh, this is someone I really respect.’ Subconsciously, when you’re a lower classman, you do look up to the upperclassmen so we wanted them to wear our shirt,” Ezekwenna said. Upper Lilly Pinciaro described EASA’s initiative as “effective” and believed that the campaign changed Exonians’ perspectives on grinding at dances. “If you see so many people on campus wearing these shirts and showing that they support [the asking of consent], then it changes people’s minds,” Pinciaro said. “There were a lot of people who you wouldn’t necessarily think of as going to EASA—like the ‘macho’ boys—who were wearing those shirts, so it was comforting as a girl to see that.”Collins was also satisfied with EASA’s “Got Consent?” initiative. “Tons of people were asking questions about it, and it was also the day after the Kavanaugh hearings which was very good timing. I think the whole project was a success so I’m happy about that,” Collins said.  Ezekwenna hopes EASA will host a similar t-shirt campaign next year and looks forward to the campaign becoming an “ongoing collaboration [between EASA and Dunbar].”Dunbar residents bonded through their preparation for Back in Black. “There are so many people in this dorm, sometimes it’s hard to get everyone to be friends. Back in Black has always been a way to get the dorm to feel like a family,” senior and Dunbar Hall proctor Elizabeth Yang said. “We always jog around campus before the dance and are always the first on the dance floor.” Another senior and Dunbar Hall proctor Amelia Lee recalled her excitement about the dance. “We’re lucky to have the entire Grainger auditorium open. We also bring in a DJ who I think is one of the best that Exeter has for their dances. She’s been coming in for the past five years,” Lee said. Several students, however, felt that Back in Black fell short of expectations this year. Senior Ray Alvarez-Adorno stated that he “really did not enjoy Back in Black” and that ultimately it “came down to the music selection.” He said, “I really like parties and I really like dancing. But the tracks were either too slow or not the right type for an Exeter party.” Alvarez-Adorno was surprised by the music selection, given that Exeter has brought in the same DJ for the past five years. “I was actually confused because [DJ Solano] comes to every Back in Black. Last year’s Back in Black had pretty good music, but this year I guess the lady didn’t come with the same energy,” he said.Lower Violet Goldstone agreed. “I respect the DJ and understand DJ’ing is hard work, but I just didn’t find the songs to be really good until the end,” she said. Goldstone was also disappointed that the dance had been pushed back a week. “The one thing that gets me really excited about school is going to Back in Black and getting to see everyone after the first couple stressful weeks where you’re really just getting back into the Exeter grind,” Goldstone said. “Pushing it back didn’t really help.”New students however, felt more positively about the dance. “It was a fun night with loud music and great friends,” prep Jamie Carlberg said. “I loved getting all dolled up and dancing like nobody was watching—because no one was! They were all caught up in themselves.”Prep Siona Jain agreed. “Some seniors and uppers have told me that the dance wasn’t as well done, but I thought it was great.”Despite the mixed sentiments surrounding the dance, Yang pointed out that Back in Black remains distinguished from the Academy’s other dances. “Back in Black has always been unique because it’s the first dance of the year. It sets the precedent for the rest of the dances and almost the entire school shows up,” Yang said. “It’s a way for people to realize that Exeter is a place where we work hard, but can also play hard.”