On March 24, the sophomore class and their guests walked into the high school dining hall-turned-nightclub to dance the night away and showcase their best moves on the floor. The theme was Dancing in the Dark, and students came dressed to the nines at their club-themed banquet.
The eclectic decorations were pulled together from materials that had been used at other events by other classes.
“We wanted it to be eclectic and have a colorful feel to to make it happy. We really wanted a happy, colorful room for the students,” said sophomore class adviser, Mrs. Kalena Laepa’a.
Glow sticks sprouted from glass vases filled with mini disco balls and underlined by mirrored squares. The tables were also dotted with glass stones and M&Ms in orange, the class color. Twinkle lights were strung throughout the room and colorful paper lanterns hung from the ceiling.
Some students didn’t quite “get” the mix-and-match decor.
“It kind of looks like a luau, I don’t get how the lanterns go with the nightclub theme,” sophomores Marley Duncan and Jocelyn Aipa said.
However, many students enjoyed the glow sticks once the lights were turned off for the dance. They made bracelets, glasses, necklaces, and balls to play with as they danced in the dark.
The sophomores added another element: the Writing Wall. Students could go up to a long sheet of white paper taped to a wall and write messages with glow-in-the-dark puffy paint. The messages will be revealed to the class during their senior luau.
“It’s kind of like a time capsule. It’ll keep the spirit of the class alive and help them remember the night,” Mrs. Laepa’a said.
Students quickly took to the idea and were painting pictures and writing messages to their friends and class.
“I wrote my name and ‘Love All’ as a reminder to my class to stay true to yourself and to love everyone,” sophomore Lexis Viena said.
“I wrote my signature, jersey number, and class year. I started crying when I was writing it,” sophomore Ashley Tanoue-Singson said.
Four Sisters Kitchen catered the event with featured dishes like orange chicken, shrimp pasta, and Chinese chicken salad. Students also had an ice cream bar where they had the option to make root beer or Coke floats or sundaes topped with gummy bears, M&Ms, cookie bits, and brownies.
As students ate, they reminisced about their moments in high school by watching a slideshow prepared by their peers played on the big screen. From friends, high school couples, and sporting events, the class of 2014 looked back on all they had achieved in two years.
Also enjoying the trip down Memory Lane were some upperclassmen. Many KSM seniors made an appearance at the event.
“It’s my last year, and I wanted to go to everything,” senior class president Tu’imana Mateaki said.
“I came to enjoy a great night by spending time with friends and having a good time on the dance floor,” senior Alika Sanchez said.
Next Level Entertainment’s Mr. Joe Cortez dj’d the night for the class. “We have all the latest hits and free CDs for giveaways. We’re ready to party rock with the class of 2014!” Mr. Cortez said.
The class of 2014 tore up the dance floor and had a good time. Nearly everyone in attendance came excited to dance and didn’t hesitate to once the lights went low, bringing to life the night’s theme, dancing in the dark.
