By: Lizzie Guzman

On September 17, 2021, California High School experienced its first school dance after a year of being off-campus. ASB President Justin Toyoshiba noted that ASB had been planning the “We Are Back Dance” since the summer and described the dance as “It’s just a chance to get back into the swing of being in person at school.” Toyoshiba says the dance is something they had never done before and wanted to try having a less formal dance before Homecoming.

Attendance rates for the dance were low despite the many tickets that were purchased at the door. A rough estimate of 332 students showed up to the dance, and a majority of those who attended expressed satisfaction. The dance was filled with a variety of arcade games, seating areas, and a DJ, who played a variety of 2000’s music and trending songs.

Overall the dance was a success, and a senior, Ethan Gaw, described the dance as “ten because it was free” and his only complaint was that parts of the school were blocked off during the dance.

A junior, Angelina Alvarenga, described the dance as “An 8.5 because it could be better, the vibe was down a bit sometimes.” Angelina wanted more people to attend and wishes for a better theme as she thought the “masquerade” pun was tacky.