St. Louis U. High’s recent Fall Ball was a refreshing continuation of last year’s “return to normal” as one of many beloved traditions resuming after the pandemic—and this year the entire school could enjoy it. 

Historically, pre-Covid iterations of Fall Ball were only for upperclassmen and typically occurred off-campus. When the dance returned last school year, the entire student body was included, both to make up for the many canceled dances during the pandemic and to give the school something more closely resembling a homecoming dance tradition that it had previously lacked. 

Instead of hosting the entire student body in the Drury Plaza, as was initially hoped, freshmen and sophomores had their dance in the Field House while juniors and seniors were in the Commons. The decision behind using these locations and splitting up the classes came the Thursday before the dance due to concerns about cold weather ruling out an outdoor event and the lack of venues that could accommodate all the grade levels. 

Another DJ had to be quickly secured and the technology company behind the lighting had to be called back to set up a second venue, but the late change of plans ultimately worked perfectly.

“Students had a good time,” said StuCo moderator Megan Menne. “I really liked how the dance turned out.” 

Preliminary planning for the dance began months in advance and was spearheaded by StuCo moderators Menne and Stephen Deves. Assistant Principal for Student Life Brock Kesterson and Director of Security Dan Schulte were key planners for the event as well. The hard work of these faculty members along with StuCo ensured a smooth preparation process for Fall Ball. 

Students at both the upperclassman and underclassman dances were impressed with the dance’s exciting atmosphere and thoughtful planning. 

“It was a great time,” said senior Ben Lampe. “You could tell a lot of thought was put into it. I thought the music and atmosphere were really great.”

“Fall Ball was a great experience for me,” said sophomore Luke Jarboe. “I really felt like it brought my class even closer together and was a great way to unwind after first quarter.”

Since the Fall Ball was only back for the second time since the pandemic, the student body and the planners of the dance were especially aware of the importance of having events like this for school spirit. 

“I think these dances are not just important but necessary to our student body,” said Student Council President Patrick Mehan. “I think as students we get very wrapped up in our own lives and school life. Things like grades, tests, projects, sports, and clubs can make us forget about simply having fun with your brothers around you. I think a dance gives us the perfect opportunity to just have fun as a school and brings us closer together because of it.” 

“A lot of what high school is about is social interactions and school spirit,” said Deves. “Things like this outside of the classroom are just as important, if not more important than things in the classroom. Dances create relationships and friendships—you often hear people years later saying (dances) were the highlights of their year.”