“We’re a Catholic school, and it’s about time we stand up and say, ‘Because we care about our students, we are stopping this kind of dancing,'” religion teacher Elise Gower said during her talk about homecoming policies with the junior and senior girls on Oct. 10.

The student body split into four groups–junior and senior boys, junior and senior girls, freshman and sophomore boys, and freshman and sophomore girls–to hear how the homecoming dancing policies are going to be enforced this year.

“It shouldn’t be a surprise, everyone has agreed to this,” Dean of Students Brian Powell said. “Really, it’s not a change.”

The school handbook requires students to stick to dancing that fosters “respect for themselves, one another, and the community as a whole,” and prohibits inappropriate modern dance styles. ‘Face to face with space’ is the mantra, which targets the new policy’s focus on grinding.

“It was making girls uncomfortable,” Powell said. According to him, girls have reported receiving unwanted attention on the dance floor in previous school dances. “I hope girls specifically respond [to the policy]. The ladies have the keys to the kingdom.”

He also spoke about how, as an administrator chaperone, he didn’t want to see that kind of dancing. “The kids might be upset about it, but they can’t force me to watch it,” Powell said.

“Banning something because it might make someone feel weird is just irrational,” sophomore Patrick Luft said, “and kids nowadays don’t know how to dance, so it will be very awkward again on the dance floor. Either way, this homecoming is going to be weird.”

“Grinding has become part of our culture. I don’t think the students will follow the rules, and it’s going to hurt the outcome of the dance,” junior Jake Kahoe said.

In Gower’s speech, she apologized on behalf of the school for not stopping grinding sooner.

“What we’re not sorry about is doing something now,” Gower said.

If a student breaks the rules, he or she will be taken from the dance floor for a time as a first warning. If the behavior continues, that student as well as his or her guest will be ejected from the dance, their parents will be called, and they will be banned from future dances in the year, including Junior Ring Dance and Senior Prom.

“You are accountable for you, for the [person] you’re with, and for your friends,” Gower said. Guests have to sign a permission form that binds them to the same rules and consequences as the student body.

Junior Jessica Napoli supports the school’s stance. “The way that our generation acts nowadays can be a little ridiculous. I’m proud to be attending a school that looks out for its students,” Napoli said.

“We’re not trying to ruin your homecoming,” Gower said. “But it’s time we object–not against you–for you.”

Kathy Deaver is a Sports Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.