Students at Rocklin High School and attendees at the Heavenly Winter Formal Dance on January 16th in the RHS Gym, were the first students in school history to experience Rocklin High’s new breathalyzer protocol.
Overall, the dance got mixed reviews from students. Sophomore Rafaele Dano shared, “It was all right. It was really empty, to be honest. I thought it would be the same as HOCO, but it really wasn’t.” On the other hand, Senior Jacob Duckham said, “I thought it went really well. The music choice was nice. The lights were nice. I think it was a really nice vibe.” He went on to say how he noticed, “there’s been less and less people I found over the years. It’s been a less popular dance, I’d say, overall. I think the hype around dances, especially with my class, definitely died down.” But it wasn’t the lights or music that stood out about this dance, it was the breathalyzers.
The distinct, bright yellow devices found students at the doors of the Heavenly Dance. Designed for multiple tests, these breathalyzers did not require students to mix germs by putting their mouth on the device. Duckham explained that, “they malfunctioned a lot, so it was quite hard to get in.” However he said, “it took me about 30 seconds [to take the test].” Freshman Elena Pasewark added on by saying, “there were probably seven people in front of me, but it went by quickly.”
“It was too much of an inconvenience”
– Jacob Duckham
What really stood out about the Heavenly Dance was the controversy surrounding the implementation of the notorious breathalyzers. Some students stood for or against the breathalyzing test, while others remained indifferent to the situation. Dano shared, “I didn’t really care. I don’t drink alcohol, it doesn’t affect me.” However, Pasewark said, “I feel like they should only do that if they have a reason to do that, like [students] acting weird.” She continued on to say, “Only, breathalyze people that [have] a reason [to be breathalyzed].” Duckham agreed with this standpoint by saying, “It outweighed what it did. It was too much of an inconvenience”. He went on to propose a new idea, saying, “more bag checks, if a student is under the influence, I think it would be clear. So just more bag checks.” Sophomore Kamora Dayton understood the purpose of using the breathalyzers and said, “for a safer environment, keep them”.
A common theme in this year’s Heavenly Dance was the lack of attendance. Dayton said, “There were only a few people, maybe 30, and the whole gym was empty.” She went on to say, “because a lot of people didn’t go, it just wasn’t that fun.” But it is unclear if the lack of attendance was due to the use of breathalyzers or just the fact that the Winter Formal Heavenly Dance is a less popular and attended dance compared to dances like HOCO. All in all, Senior Jacob Duckham finished by saying, “I thought it was just a fun time with friends, a good excuse to go out for the night.”
