Live music, flamboyant outfits, and great food are all elements that make a great dance. After weeks of schoolwork, students are ready to decompress—either with a good show, book, or even a themed dance.

Middle school and high school have their fair share of themed dances, but does Rowan do the same?

There is just one dance Rowan hosts (this doesn’t include dances held by other organizations): a harvest festival. This dance is met with toothy smiles and happy students. 

The harvest festival is held during homecoming week. According to Rowan’s website, “As part of Homecoming weekend, enjoy a night of dancing, live music, games and cuisine from a variety of food trucks and vendors! RAH will provide free food vouchers for undergraduate students with a valid Rowan ID. Alumni are welcome to attend.”

Students are encouraged to attend in their best dresses and loosen up.  

There are other dances that happen on Rowan’s campus, such as an annual winter formal. This dance is hosted by organizations such as Rowan After Hours (RAH) and Student University Programmers (SUP). 

Many other student-led and Greek Life organizations hold their own dances, but there are students that don’t necessarily want to go, or don’t feel comfortable attending a dance hosted by a specific organization. If Rowan hosted dances, these concerns would be erased. 

Dances hosted by Rowan and Rowan alone would promote community and well-being. 

According to Harvard Health Publishing, anxiety among students is “very common”. From exams to never-ending school work to adapting to living on your own for the first time, college can be both exciting and nerve-racking. 

Over half of college students feel overwhelmed, according to the study. There are many factors that contribute to students’ stress, but more themed dances shouldn’t be one of them.

Besides being aesthetically pleasing, dances have many health benefits. According to Better Health Channel, these benefits include increased muscular strength and flexibility, increased aerobic fitness, better self-esteem and social skills, increased physical confidence, and more. 

The Whit Staff believes by having more themed dances, students will have more opportunities to socialize, exercise, and have fun. 

In addition, students will have another event to look forward to as they go about their busy schedules. Dances break things up, reduce stress, and promote healthy habits.

The Whit Staff also recognizes that Rowan does a lot for its community. There are plenty of fun things to look forward to on campus, but The Whit Staff hopes themed dances will be on that list.

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