Laura Holguin

Staff Writer

Rumors have been circulating about the new ban on grinding, that Westford Academy and the School Committee have formed, that will take place starting next year. The Ghostwriter went to Mr. Goldberg and asked him questions concerning the ban and the details behind it.

The school committee and Westford Academy have worked together to control the behavior at school dances, with giving any student caught dancing this way two warnings. The first warning, the student will be asked to stop and his or her name will be written down. If the student is caught again, they will be asked to leave the dance, and their parents will be notified that his or her child has left the school dance due to inappropriate behavior.

Keeping in mind that majority of students dance this way, faculty and chaperones will give everyone on the dance floor a fair warning. They will also take serious measures and go to the DJ Booth, stop the music, and stop the dance all together asking everyone to leave if students continue to grind after the first warning. If the student is asked to leave for multiple dances, then they may not be allowed to attend dances all together.

Faculty, parents, and even students have complained about feeling uncomfortable due to grinding at school dances. Also, the school has received complaints from parents chaperoning our school dances, stating that they cannot attend or chaperone school dances anymore due to feeling uncomfortable and the behavior that is seen.

The school plans that on the first day of school, the administrator for your grade, or dean, will speak to the students showing them videos off of YouTube, to show example of appropriate dancing that will be allowed at school dances.

Starting next year, faculty and chaperones will be in greater number ,watching if grinding is being taken place. If they see grinding they will go on the dance floor and pull students aside if needed.

Keeping in mind that some students are strongly against this ban, administration has kept in mind that people attending these dances may decrease immensely. If it is seen that the amount of students attending these dances has decreased, the school will find other ways to bring students together and other ideas for fundraising for clubs such as DECA and SADD.

If school dances are stopped all together, Assistant Principal Adam Goldberg added, “If we stop dances for awhile we’re fine with not having s dances for a period of time. We can find other ways of having social events here at school that are not dances, that will bring students together.” Knowing that DECA and SADD host dances for fundraising, Goldberg also added that student council, DECA, and SADD are in the talks of new ways for fundraising.

Some students at WA are completely against the new rule.

Sophomores Sam Kelly, Lindsay Mardirosian, Brianna Harris, and Kevin Sollows disagree with the rule and Kelly said, “Nobody is going to go to dances next year, that’s so stupid, and they aren’t going to raise any money for the school this way.” 

Other students have also said that if this rule really goes through they will not attend dances, asking how does administration expect them to dance? Overall, some students find this rule to be completely foolish.

This new rule is still to be approved by the School Committee, so it isn’t completely official yet, but Goldberg said that this rule is definitely going to be applied next year.