Los Altos High School’s annual winter dance has a new name: “Neon Nights.” After decades of the dance requiring formal clothing, the dance has taken on colorful makeover — forgoing dress clothes for neon and white. 

ASB adviser Sarah Alvarado first introduced the idea to the class, which ultimately decided in favor of it. Since the winter dance is typically smaller than other school dances and attendance is unpredictable, ASB wants to use the dress code to increase student engagement. 

They received feedback from seniors that since senior year already has a lot of formal events, the winter dance should be more casual.

“A change might bring in a new demographic of people who don’t want to dress up that much,” junior class president Ellie Choi said. 

Ellie, as Co-Commissioner of the ASB Operations Committee, has helped plan the dance for two years. However, it was obvious to her that the winter dance largely remains irrelevant to most people.

“Last year, I did everything I felt like I could, but the dance never gets enough publicity to the point where a lot of people will come,” Ellie said. “People are already burnt out.”

ASB hypothesized that due to academic pressure and stress, students could not make time to come to the dance, as it is in the middle of a quarter.

“A suspicion I have is that it has to do with the culture we have at this school,” Alvarado said. “There’s a lot of emphasis on academics, even when it is to the detriment of one’s mental health.” 

Lack of attendance could also be attributed to sports and students’ packed schedules.

“A lot of our students are athletes and they might just have a conflict where they have to pick and choose, and they’ve committed to be on the team,” Alvarado said. 

ASB hopes to change this lack of engagement with its new dress code, alleviating stress and creating a more casual environment, while still maintaining a festive atmosphere.

“ASB needs the freedom to decide what traditions they want to continue and which ones they might want to change,” Alvarado said. “I don’t necessarily foresee all of the dances becoming casual but I do think that they need to be thoughtful about why they’re choosing certain themes or activities.”

Alongside the dress code, ASB will be providing snacks like shaved ice, something not typically offered at dances before. Ultimately, they hope to cultivate a larger sense of excitement with these changes.

“It’s a great way for people to relieve stress, know more people, and socialize,” Co-Commissioner of the ASB Operations Committee junior Sofia Nesmith said. 

Tickets are $10 with ASB and $15 without. They can be purchased at the finance office or the web store. Tickets bought at the door will be $20. Students must bring their student ID cards to be admitted into the dance.