An ideal weekend for some students would include plans to attend a school event, like a dance. Dressing up can be fun, but time consuming. What ever happened to casual friday?

 Following the December 17 home varsity girls’ basketball and hockey games, two student organizations from BRFHS, DECA and FCCLA, put on a school dance that was inspired by athletics.

 “Officers from both of the organizations contributed to the brainstorming of themes,” said DECA adviser Mary Byrns.

 Both advisers invested a lot of time and effort into the planning of this new winter event. In addition, multiple members involved with the DECA and FCCLA chapters contributed their time and ideas to the planning and organizing of the dance.

 “I made announcements reminding people to buy their tickets,” said DECA member Sydney Harkner.

 The theme of the informal dance was sports. Students who bought tickets to the dance were encouraged to come dressed in sports apparel. Many who attended wore jerseys, like junior Wehonna Toth, who wore a New Orleans Saints football jersey.

 Because the December dance was new this school year it was not as attended as the Homecoming or Snowball dances.

 “There were a little over 100 students at the dance,” said FCCLA Adviser Tina Gilbertson, “It seemed to me that they were all having a good time too.”

 Since there were less people on the dance floor it was easier to jump around and move freely. The students who did attend the dance seemed to enjoy the atmosphere very much.

 “I thought it [the dance] was cool,” said freshman Joseph Barnett, “I didn’t go to the homecoming dance, so this was my first dance at the high school. It was cool.”

 Related to the sports theme, students with tickets to the dance were persuaded to attend the girls’ basketball game in the Sam Young Gymnasium prior to the dance.

 “The students who came to the game with their tickets received a stamp on the back. This made them eligible to win prizes at the dance,” said Byrns.

 There were several winners at the dance that won an itunes gift card, a Texas Roadhouse gift certificate, and credit for the movie theater in the Oakwood Mall in Eau Claire.

 “I was at the game, but it didn’t matter to me if I won a prize or not,” said Barnett.

 Not to worry though, the dance, held from nine to eleven, was filled more with joy than disappointment.