As the sunlight faded on Friday, Aug. 25, vibrant lights quickly took its place. Completing the first week of the 2023-2024 school year, the Back to School Dance (BTSD) celebrated the week’s close and the year’s beginning within Redwood’s main building.
Open to all grades, hundreds of students visited the campus to partake in a variety of games, photo booth activities and the dance itself. Amongst the attendees was senior August Reed, who was looking to start their final year at Redwood with an extra bit of enjoyment.
Despite the BTSD not having been available their freshman year due to COVID-19, Reed has made an effort to attend every BTSD.
“It’s one of my favorite dances of the year because there’s expectations with prom and homecoming … but with the BTSD, you just have fun without expectations,” Reed said.
Especially this early in the year, as students are settling into their new school-based routines and schedule, Reed finds that the BTSD provides a rare opportunity to step back from the pressures of the first week.
“There’s a lot of stress going on right now, so it’s nice to forget, for just a little bit, that I have a 1000-word paper due Monday,” Reed said.
There were not only seniors at the BTSD, but also ninth grade students attending their first high school function. Former Del Mar student Beckett Leclaire participated in the event, three days into his high school career.
“[Redwood’s] been awesome,” Leclaire said. “[Now], I’m out here meeting new people and hanging out with my friends.”
Similar to Reed, Leclaire found the dance to be a welcomed change of pace from the first week.
“Everyone’s stressed out. People are trying to find friends, so it’s fun to go around and join groups,” Leclaire said.
The dance, filled with loud music and an energetic atmosphere, lasted from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Although the sun may have set by 8 p.m., the lights had just begun.
