On September 3, the announcement was made that the Sunshine Society’s Sweetheart Dance was canceled due to the Center for Disease Control’s COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions. Although this may not be an unexpected shock to many, it still affected the students at Gibson Southern.

Both freshmen Lydia Schmidt and Benner Irvin said that if you are worried about getting sick, you should not go – there was no need to cancel the dance. Despite the initial feeling of disappointment, most students understood and accepted the decision that was made.

“I am very upset about the dance being canceled because it is something that I look forward to every year,” senior Kamryn Miller said. “I understand why the decision was made, though. I know it was in the best interest of our students.”

Sweetheart is a night to which students look forward. It’s a chance to make memories with friends, have a good time and break the monotony of the school year.

“I wanted to dance with my friends,” Irvin said.

Some students might feel as though they are missing out on an important time in high school. The seniors miss out on their final Sweetheart, and the freshman don’t get to have their first big high school dance.

“It’s a big deal for us freshmen,” Schmidt said. “When I look back, I don’t want to be upset because I didn’t have one freshman year.”

Every female student who wanted to attend the Sweetheart Dance had to complete five hours of community service to earn her point to attend the dance. Sunshine Society sponsor Kendra Barrett keeps track of the members’ earned points and is also responsible for helping plan the dance with the Sunshine Society officers.

Although the dance was canceled, Barrett still feels the girls should do their community service hours.

“Doing a little community service never hurt anyone,” she said.

Although the Sweetheart Dance for 2020 was canceled, the hope is that next year, it will continue on as normal and provide students who want to dance and enjoy time with their friends an unforgettable time.