Behind the Scenes: The Fall Dance
By Thea Y. '29
Sweat drips from his brow as he rapidly spins the steering wheel, gripping it tightly. The illuminated Safeway logo grows ever closer as he avidly searches for an open parking spot. He sprints from his vehicle and navigates the crowded aisles swiftly. Moving with efficient urgency, he throws bag after bag of Oreos, madeleines, and family-sized Lay's into his cart. Within the hour, Qadir Williams returns to the College Prep parking lot, just in time. In time for what, you might ask? The 2026 Fall Dance, of course!
The Fall Dance, also known as the freshman dance, is a keystone of College Prep culture. It welcomes new students, who, escorted by their CAP Seniors, join the rest of the student body at the newly decorated outdoor basketball court. The tradition is primarily targeted towards freshmen, who are required to attend the dance and the CAP dinner that precedes it. But many sophomores, juniors, and seniors also show up to take part in the dancing, food, and music. And at recent assemblies, Spirit on Air has tried to increase ticket sales through skits, a habanero pepper challenge, and relentless promises of food.
Students were welcomed to the dance by Coachella-themed decorations and music courtesy of DJ Spade. A main goal of Spirit on Air—along with, of course, welcoming the freshmen and kicking off the year—was to break the previous Fall Dance attendance record of 243 students. The record was shattered by the 270 attendees. Spirit on Air commemorated their win at Assembly by partaking in the viral “Smoothie Challenge,” consuming a mix of ketchup, beef sticks, protein powder, granola bars, and Red Bull. Although this glorious celebration demonstrated the joy and ridiculousness with which Spirit on Air advertises events, the team was also responsible for the serious planning that went into the event. We experienced the dance as a polished final product. But what actually goes into organizing events like these? To pursue this question, I interviewed Qadir Williams, a member of Spirit on Air.
Like the responsible College Prep kids that they are, Spirit delegated tasks among their members. Qadir knows, as many of us agree, that the way into a CPS kid’s heart is through their stomach. As the elected Leader of the Snack Department, he made numerous runs to Safeway and Costco, calculating exactly how much lemonade one student body could consume. The answer, it appears, is approximately 1,000 fluid ounces, or 65.2 pounds. Along with that absurd amount of beverage, he returned to campus with $65 worth of Oreos, 8 family-sized bags of chips, and his very own Safeway member’s card, purchased on the spot, which saved the school 13%. His last Safeway run occurred the night of the dance.
When Dean Chabon noted that they might run out of food, Qadir rose to the challenge. He, along with the rest of our dedicated Student Council, showed up three hours early to prepare for our arrival. They set an excellent precedent and represent the values of teamwork, responsibility, enthusiasm, and connection that College Prep teaches.
Thank you very much to our dedicated Student Council and Spirit Team for serving the student body and creating such a joyful Saturday night at Coachella.
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