This from The Press (photo, Kim & Reggie demonstrate):
The 2010 Lake High School Homecoming Dance came to a grinding halt last Saturday night – or rather, it came to a “no-grinding halt.”By around 9 p.m., well before the dance was scheduled to end, a number of students had left in protest of a recently instituted “no-grinding” policy that prohibited the popular form of dancing that school officials feel is sexually provocative and a little too “up-close-and-personal” for a school setting.
Sophomore Dakota Jakey said he feels it wasn’t just the policy, but the timing of the announcement that grinding would be prohibited at the dance added to the students’ frustration.
“When we heard the announcement Friday morning, we were mad,” he said. “People had already bought their tickets to the dance. This type of dancing had been allowed in previous years, so why not announce the policy earlier so we could decide whether or not we even wanted to go?”
Though Jakey admitted it may be “awkward” to describe grinding, he said many students enjoy the dance style. “The principal said they were issuing a no-grinding policy because they didn’t want students’ genitals rubbing against one another,” he said. “That made some kids laugh, but many of us were upset that our choice of how to dance was taken away.” ...
[Lee Herman, Lake principal, said students] did a good job for 1.5 hours and then we had a problem...The DJ was told that this was a school dance and that he should play appropriate music. The kids were asking why they could not hear certain songs,” the principal said. “The DJ, knowing the message in some of the songs, would not play them. The song choice was not my decision." ...“I don’t have an issue with songs as long as there is appropriate language. A song that has the ‘f’ word being used in it 15 times is not appropriate.”
Students, in protest of the music that was being played, held a “sit-in” of sorts, sitting on the gym floor for several minutes. “When the DJ started playing all country music, stuff like ‘Cotton-eyed Joe’ and older songs, everyone sat down because they didn’t want to dance to any of the songs,” said senior Alexa McNamee...
“It’s not only our school that does this – everyone does,” she said. “So for us to say we can’t do it, it’s like saying we can’t dance. What are you going to go to homecoming and do? Stand there?”
“Some of my friends were talking about leaving and going back to a friend’s house to have our own homecoming,” McNamee said, adding that she and her date chose to rent some movies and spend the rest of the evening at home....
“A “big issue” at Clay
Jeff Thompson, principal at Clay High School in Oregon, said the school had the same issues with some students dancing inappropriately.HT 2 KSBA
“This was a big issue for us last year,” Thompson said. “I called other schools in other states and schools in Ohio asking what they did to put policies in place for dances. We want our kids to take a respectful stance on how they conduct themselves at a dance as well as in our hallways, in their lives and in how they dress.”
Thompson said he fielded questions from parents last year concerning the school’s stance on dancing and even the dress code for the dances. “I don’t think many parents totally understood what grinding meant,” Thompson said. “I told parents that when you see your daughter bending over and guys, not one but two to three behind them grinding up against her, you will change your mind on grinding.
Over the summer, Clay wrote formal dance guidelines that are included in the student Handbook as well as online at the high school’s website. The guidelines include specific policies for dress as well as what will be considered inappropriate dancing, which includes “moshing,” “body-surfing,” “slam-dancing,” and any style of dancing that suggests sexual innuendo.
“Sexually-suggestive dancing will result in the student's removal from the event, and may hinder or prevent his or her participation in future school dances and events,” the policy says.
Clay has also written Formal Dance Guidelines, complete with photos of what types of clothing will be considered appropriate and inappropriate dress...
8 comments:
I understand that "grinding" at school dances can easily get out of hand and very inappropriate for school dances, but I believe that it can be handled in a different situation besides completely banning the dance style from dances. Maybe if someone explained to the students that they were aloud to dance this way, just not so "intensely" that it would be more appropriate. The chaperons could observe the dancing and let students know when they are getting a little out of hand. I know that is a little complicated but having students completely skip out of the dances because of this rule can cause some major issues as well. Students could create their own homecoming dance as mentioned in the article. The issue is that their event will more than likely not include any adult supervision and will probably have alcohol and/or other illegal substances. It is a really tough and complicated situation, but I think school systems should try and find another way around this issue. If not, students will create their own fun and can very easily make wrong decisions.
If the second photo was taken during one of these dances, I'd say the school needs to rethink their dress-code policy.
Since I was recently a student in High School I can relate to how these teenagers feel when they can't express themselves. Many students want to be able to dance freely to the music they enjoy.
Not all students like to grind on each other during dances, but thats a typical new form of dancing that teenagers do. Although this dancing may be considered provocative there is not really an escape from this behavior because students will probably be grinding at different events not related to school.
I agree with Elizabeth, if the students take the party elsewhere they will most likely be dancing in a setting with lots of alcohol and sexual activity. It is better to let the students dance the way our generation dances at Homecoming where they can be surpervised. Even though they should allow this type of dancing, they should make sure that it does not get out of hand past the "up-close-and-personal" point.
October 10, 2010 8:42 AM: The snaps are simply illustrative of the dance style and are not particular to this school.
Elizabeth and Grace: May I challenge your thinking on this a bit?
Grace, you said: "Even though they should allow this type of dancing, they should make sure that it does not get out of hand past the 'up-close-and-personal' point." I think you put your finger on the issue. What is "the point" past which you cannot go? Where do you draw that line?
Or should schools not draw any lines?
Imagine you are the adult in charge. If students are permitted to simulate the sex act, but you would not allow them to go past that....then you've drawn a line.
For the sake of argument - why not allow students to go past "up close and personal" at school. If we get in their way, they'll just go off and do it anyway... and use drugs in the process. Maybe we should keep them all at school with their drugs.
See what I mean? At some point the logic breaks down. Surely we want to keep kids engaged with the school but shouldn't the school represent our better aspirations for our students?
BTW, this is not particularly new. Kids in the...I guess it was the 70s...used to get on the ground and do "the gator." Think horizontal cha cha. I suspect its more about students challenging authority and seeing what they can get away with. I think you're going to have to set some boundaries - and that comes down to what you stand for.
As a Christian reader, I'm offended not by the content of the blog, nor that the subject of "grinding" is discussed, I'm offended by the photograph.
The pair's coital dance shows no tact whatsoever. We get the idea here, Dr. Day. This salacious photo is inappropriate for this blog.
Well, gosh. I was a Christian when I posted it.
My point is that it's definately inappropriate for a high school dance floor. ...and this was a move I had not seen.
Thanks for the comment.
This is a tough subject to pick a side on, but after reading the first article and learning that some of the students chose to leave the dance and go and have one of their own at one of their houses makes me have to lean to allowing the students to "grind" during the dances. Yea, it isn't the most appropriate dance move that is out there, but at least there is adult supervision, while if they chose to leave and go elsewhere there wouldn't be this supervision, which could lead to more things.
I'm sorry, but it isn't hard to draw lines or establish rules to prevent this type of inappropriate behavior. I went to this high school, and I know how bad some of these kids can be. I understand some people having worries about the kids taking this type of activity elsewhere, and the implications of drugs and alcohol. The risk of these activities occurring outside of school are always present. No matter what the school does, these kids will act in this matter. If you allow them to do it at the dances, they will still go home and do it, while involving drugs and alcohol.
Put the rules in place, but also add programs as Clay always has to address the issue on a public and community relations front, rather than just in stilling order during the school events.
These kids have to be taught the implications of this type of behavior in their future. When they leave the school photos of this lewd behavior will be available to employers. The criminal consequences of being around the type of crowd participating in these acts.
Clean it up Clay, the school has gone horribly down hill since the days I wandered those halls. I will not place blame on the administration in how the students are behaving, I will place blame on the students.
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