Why can students sit in the dark auditorium during shows without the emergency lights shining down on them, but at future school dances, they will now be required to keep the emergency lights on full blast?
This is the question many Seaholm students asked when they heard the rumors that he lights are to be kept on during upcoming school dances.
At the winter dance on December 8, the combination of the DJ’s smoke machine and a malfunctioning sensor upstairs set off the fire alarms in the school. The cafeteria was evacuated and everyone was ushered outside.
The fire department came to inspect the school and noticed that the emergency lights were blacked out downstairs in the cafeteria.
Seaholm principal Terry Piper got a phone call from the Fire Marshall the next day saying that it was a violation of the fire code to cover up the emergency lights and that from now on, they need to remain uncovered.
“This is not an administrative decision, or anything that’s meant to be punitive,” assistant principal Deb Boyer said. “But to be in compliance and in order not to be written up and/or fined, we have to make sure that we’re in compliance with the laws regarding the fire code.”
She added that at future school dances, Student Congress is no longer allowed to black out the emergency lights using any kind of material.
“Of course we understand that people don’t want to be illuminated under a spotlight so our problem here is that the emergency lights are supposed to be illuminated, they’ve always been on, because if there’s a power failure, there is no other light,” Student Congress Advisor Ann DeBoer said.
Birmingham Fire Marshall Charlie Monti told the Highlander that under no circumstances can the emergency lights be covered up. If the power was to go out during a dance and the lights were covered up, then there would be no way to see the exits and leave the building safely.
Student Congress has been meeting with Piper to see if there is another place to hold the upcoming Sadie Hawkins Dance.
“We’ve thought about holding [it] in the gym hallway like Groves did their homecoming, but the lights would have to be kept on there too,” senior Student Congress member Kate Murray said. “We’re looking into our options of potentially getting the light switches turned off.”
When asked if she thought attendance at the dances would decrease, Murray said “I think we’ll have the same number of people purchase tickets, but people will probably leave a lot earlier.”
This year’s Sadie Hawkins is sponsoring the junior class and the money will go towards making tickets for prom next year less expensive.
“We’re trying to do the best we can for this dance [Sadies] and then rethink again, we just hope the students will support us,” DeBoer said. “They all need to remember that the dances are held to support the students. So money raised either goes to the class or to support prom ... At the same time it‘s providing a fun experience for people.”
