Loud music was booming throughout the gymnasium and colourful lights shined brightly across the walls and ceiling. It was a wonderful summer day and in celebration of this school year about to be over, the school had a end of year dance. Me and my friends stood in line to enter the building. As we make our way through the line various excited phrases come out of the crowd. “This is gonna be so fun”, “I can’t wait to get in”. We enter the gymnasium to see around 150 kids packed tightly together singing, dancing, and running around. It wasn’t long til everyone entering had gotten adjusted to the lighting and volume of the event. My friends and I were enjoying our time and suddenly, a teacher goes to the DJ stand and grabs a mic. The teacher then says “Attention everyone, we are not about to begin the “snowball”. I was very confused what they meant by that as this was the first “senior” dance of my elementary school experience. (senior dance included grades 5-8). The room immediately divided in two massive groups, girls on one side, boys on the other. Everyone scrambled across the hard wood floors to one of the sides awaiting further instructions while the teachers rounded up any stragglers. Suddenly some slow music started to play through the speakers and one boy and one girl were taken from each group to dance in front of everyone. Some kids were all about it, to dance with the girls while some were very panicked and hid in the very back of the group. “Snowball” . The two dancing students return to their group and grab another student to join them. As the dance progressed, more and more students were taken from the group until there were many pairs dancing.
This kind of separation occurred very often in my schooling where students were split up into groups based solely on biological sex. I didn’t think much of this classification when I was in elementary school, but looking back, it probably made quite a few people uncomfortable when they would be in a state of confusion with their gender identity as they would have to pick a side even if they feel they don’t belong in either or in the opposite of their appearance.
Trevor Price 
Hi Trevor,
I really liked your story! I definitely agree with how much we often see gender separation in our schooling. As I read your story, I feel like I was kind of there with you — I really like your descriptive language as I was able to imagine the story you’re trying to tell. I remember the time when my school also did a kind-of-concert event and the things that happened in your dance similarly happened to mine as well. I wonder how often does this kind of separation happen throughout our province, or Canada in general? I feel that this kind of situation does happen often (maybe), especially in schools. Finally, I notice your statement: “I didn’t think much of this classification when I was in elementary school, but looking back, it probably made quite a few people uncomfortable”. It is the exact thought I have, nonetheless maybe the same experience while I was in elementary. Overall, a really nice story.
Cheers,
Ace
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