Freshmen are typically given the opportunity to attend the Junior Assembly (JA) dance once every year.  One result of COVID-19’s rapid expansion was the total cancellation of the JA dances last year.

Nov. 13, for the first time in Oakwood’s history, sophomores attended their own JA dance, to make up for the absence of their freshman JA, at the Dayton Woman’s Club. While the sophomore and the freshman dances are not technically the same due to grade level difference, the experience in itself appeared to be the same.

Many were unsure if the one-off sophomore JA would bring the same experiences as the traditional freshman JA.

“Overall, the event was really fun. It was a little bit awkward at first, but as the dance went on everybody got more comfortable and it was a really enjoyable experience,” Tristan Prizler (10) said.

Abby Spitzmiller (10), another attendee, had a similar experience.

“The event was really fun; I thought it was a great opportunity for our sophomore class to bond, and for us to get back one of the many things we missed last year due to the coronavirus pandemic,” Spitzmiller said.

Mitch Duvic (10) also had a good time at the sophomore JA.

“It was good,” Duvic said.  “I danced with a bunch of people and had a good night.”

The premise of a JA is to provide a dance assembly, exclusively to freshmen, due to their exclusion from most other dances.  Despite that, a few people decide not to attend the dance, possibly due to fear or thinking it is not worth it.  If you are an incoming freshman that has doubts about JA, take advice from Spitzmiller, who emphasizes the effect that JA has on socialization and how she feels about attending the sophomore JA.

“I am glad I went; I thought it really helped me talk to some people I wouldn’t normally talk to. I would tell future freshmen that they should totally sign up for JA. It’s really fun and a great way to talk to some people you have never talked to or haven’t talked to in a while,” Spitzmiller said.  

JA is a great way to socialize with your peers and perhaps introduce yourself to others in your grade level that you may not have had a chance to talk to yet.

Still not convinced? Worried that JA would be awkward?  Maybe Prizler can lift that stress, stating that JA is not awkward and encourages those with doubt to go regardless. 

“I would say that if you are having any doubt about going, you should go anyway. The whole experience is fun and it isn’t really awkward at all. The only advice I would give would be that the only way for the experience to be awkward would be if you make it awkward,” Prizler said.  

Duvic also has some good advice for freshmen who are not sure if they should go.

Duvic said, “I’d say go, because you’re probably not going to do anything better on that night, and you can make new friends.”