Carly Danner
The Junior Ring Dance is an SGA- sponsored event that is enjoyed annually by the Mount St. Mary’s University community. This year, it took place on Friday, November 8. It was a campus-wide event with food, refreshments, music, a photo booth and dancing.
The significance of the junior ring dance is built around the junior ring tradition. All juniors at Mount St. Mary’s have the option to customize and purchase a class ring with their initials, graduation year and stone of their choice. The celebration of obtaining this ring marks a milestone in a student’s college career, as a class ring signifies a diploma that one can wear, symbolizing the significant accomplishment of persevering through the rigorous academia of college.
That being said, there has been conversation surrounding this event as to whether or not it should be open to all classes to attend. Some think it may be more special for the junior class to celebrate exclusively amongst themselves, while others feel it should be inclusive to the entire student body.
Several attendees of the junior ring dance were interviewed, with one student remarking, “My girlfriend and I came to this event as non- juniors because we thought it would be fun to attend a campus event like this. It was fun meeting some juniors we did not know before and dancing.”
Another student stated, “nobody would show up if this event was only open to juniors.” With a majority of interviewed students expressing that the junior ring dance should be open to the entire Mount community, the junior ring dance tradition should stay an open event to all students, so that all students may participate in celebrating the accomplishments of the junior class and also create everlasting memories with significant others and friends.
Beauty enhancements and dressing up in formal attire in preparation for a school dance are likely beneficial to mental health, as studies have shown that looking one’s best is likely to boost self- esteem. The final topic that interviewees were asked to answer revolved around how this year’s junior ring dance compared to the junior ring dance put on last year.
Multiple students preferred this year’s junior ring dance over last year’s. One student stated, “I like this event, I went to it last year, but it is better this year. They upgraded the decorations and food this year.”
Another student noted, “Not many people showed up last year. It was poorly planned and only revolved around the ring. I am highly anticipating the upcoming winter formal this year.” All in all, the junior ring dance was the perfect opportunity for couples and friend groups to let it all out in the form of dancing while enjoying macaroons, cupcakes, cookies, and fruit punch. The event was a success as it was well organized.
The students interviewed only had positive outlooks on this event. Not only was it a night to remember, but it also simultaneously served as a promotion for the winter formal dance that will occur in December.
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