This year, the school dances (or socials, I suppose) are starting at 4:00 after school. This is only 25 minutes after school ends, and there are many problems that could arise due to this.

First of all, students aren’t a fan of this new development. According to a recent Instagram poll, only 17 percent percent of students are in favor of it, leaving 83 percent against this change. If the students don’t like how early the events are, they will be less likely to attend. If fewer students go, then the whole fundraising purpose of the socials will be defeated.

Second of all, it will leave less time for setting up the gym and the concessions. I don’t know exactly how long it takes to set up, but to put down a large brown paper on half of the gym seems like quite the task. And if volunteers are stuck in traffic or have to drop their kids at home, 25 minutes does seem to push the limit. Plus, most students get home on their buses at around 4 p.m. They don’t have time to dress nice or for the theme of the social. And nobody wants to wait around after school for 25 minutes until the dance starts. Where would they even wait? Outside? In the Texas heat or the recent cold and rain?

I think that the socials are likely to be much less successful this year because of the time change. Programs that benefit from the socials will probably not have the number of funds from dances that they have had in years past. But, as we haven’t had our first 4 p.m. dance yet, I’m not really sure what will happen. Will students boycott the event or will they show up? Will it only be sixth graders who don’t know any better? Nobody can tell quite yet, but we’ll know the results of this new change just a week from Friday.