Freak Patrol

The Voice is everywhere. From lurking in the hallways to observing every single movement at a mixer, the newspaper is there. This time, the Voice snuck inside the Frosh/Soph “White Out” mixer to observe how chaperones would regulate the rule breakers. Chaperones are present to uphold an appropriate dancing environment. According to the Pres handbook, “inappropriate dancing includes, but is not limited to, the following: slam dancing, break-dancing, moshing, ‘freaking,’ suggestive, or otherwise inappropriate or dangerous dancing.” What it boils down to is that, that night, the chaperones were on…freak patrol.

Mrs. Livingston sat at the side door of the center ready to man the tickets and money even before the mixer started. At 7:30 p.m., she handed out tickets left and right.

The Center seemed to have a different purpose. Instead of providing Pres girls with Apollo’s delicious food, it was a ground where boys and girls were welcome to mingle, or look for some eye candy. It was obvious that the boys were checking out the girls sitting at the tables in their t-shirts and shorts across the room. And the girls weren’t being too subtle when they looked over their shoulders to peek at the boys who stood awkwardly near the microwaves.

About ten minutes passed and the Center became more and more like a scene from a typical mixer. The boys and girls were still in their corners, both with their groups of friends. Even Ms. Raby noticed this behavior. She noticed how girls move in big groups. “Girls are swarming!” she said. The volleyball stand that had a perfect view of the dancing mob gave the chaperones an elevated place to look for freakers by shining their flashlight in an intimidating manner. When she stood on the volleyball stand, Ms. Raby saw a boy approaching two girls. Cut in the middle of his attempt to talk to the girls, his friend jumped in front of him and tried to meet them first. “Good thing the girl didn’t just walk away,” she said. According to Ms. Raby, the setting of a modern day mixer such as the one on Friday night was slightly different than the dances she had back in her time. She said, “The music is different. People danced closely, but not as provocatively.”

As the night went on, the chaperones themselves seemed to be having fun. They were dancing, laughing and even trying out some of today’s dancing styles, such as getting low and doing the stanky leg. Mrs. Ford was in and out of the moving blob of students. She definitely had no difficulty finding her way through the middle. How? She danced her way in, of course! “Yeah, I got low…and then I got stuck,” she said. Mrs. Ford was dancing with the ASB officers who were also dancing their way into the blob. After observing multiple girls texting on their cell phones, she said, “The biggest turnoff to a boy is spending so much time on your cell phones and texting.”

Ms. Healy perhaps had the best job a chaperone at a high school mixer can have: “Watch Mrs. Ford make a fool of herself,” she said with a chuckle. She watched Mrs. Ford do some sort rendition of the robot and possibly other moves she invented.

Standing outside the door across from the blob, Mr. Cooling had his arms crossed over his chest. Where he really wanted to be was at home spending time with his two young daughters. This, what he called a “classic funny” mixer, reminded him of his own dances. He remembered being the “dorky kid over there,” as he nodded over to a kid sitting down on the green chair staring at his cell phone. According to Mr. Cooling, it was different seeing his students at a mixer. He said, “I only know these girls as athletes.”

It was almost the end of the mixer. The chaperones were tired, but the blob was still moving. Ms. Schrader said, “I’d rather be on my couch with my feet up.” But it wasn’t time to leave yet. She still had to get her job done. Holding a flashlight handed to her by the ASB officers, she said, “Sometimes flashing a little light is all it takes.” She said that there are more people here than she expected. However, the increase in mixer participants was not a problem. “It looks like they’re having nice clean fun,” she said.

By now, students had danced up a storm. Sweaty and shiny, they went outside to grab some baked goods and water. However, going outside as an attempt to cool down and take a break didn’t work. According to a chaperone, “It is apparent that the guests are not wearing deodorant.” Indeed, the Center held a hint of sweat mixed with body odor.

The D.J. played the song “Cha Cha Slide” to end the mixer. Boys who were wallflowers were now up and about sliding to the left and right, clapping their hands and cha cha-ing. The blob split like an atom and waited to get out of the Center. That night, the Center served its purpose. It was a place where students danced and had a relaxing time.