In the midst of the sonic maelstrom known as this year’s Tucheze, an unhappy feeling lay at the edge of my subconscious. As the rhythmic, multicolored lights faded and the dance floor grudgingly dispersed, this feeling crystallized into an extremely depressing thought: from this point until the end of my stay in high school, this was the only dance that I would wholeheartedly enjoy. Sure, I still would have prom and winter formal, but neither of them could possibly compare to the fun of a schoolwide, casual dance.

A large part of this, of course, was due to just how outstanding Tucheze was this year. Most of the credit goes to the three superb student DJ’s, who whipped the crowd into an intense frenzy through their emphasis on recognizable electronic dance music. The atmosphere on the dance floor was unlike any school dance I had been to before; with no gaps or slow songs, nobody, myself included, stopped dancing for an instant. On top of this, the pervasive glow in the dark body paint and hundreds of glow sticks (a personal favorite) turned the cafeteria into a sea of color and further emphasized its uniqueness among school dances. The point of Tucheze was pure fun, and it let nothing get in its way.

Any more ranting about Tucheze’s excellence will only dampen my enthusiasm for any other dances this year, so instead I will focus on what made this year’s Tucheze so special. In the end, it came down to the fact that it was so informal and student-focused. Every aspect – the songs, the light show, the glow paint – seemed like it was chosen by a fellow student purely to make the dance more fun for everyone. Add on to that the fact that you could just walk up to the door, five dollars in hand, and immediately find yourself in midst of a seemingly endless rave made the entire process completely stress free.

This is so far removed from the intricate rituals required for the other formal dances that I can’t help but wish for more casual dances like Tucheze. With no dates needed, no reservations, no fretting over groups, no suits or dresses, and really no prior planning necessary, the benefits of a casual dance cannot be overstated. If you like dancing, simply show up at the door and enjoy the next three hours of pure, unadulterated fun – free from the obligations and inevitable drama that formal dances stir up.

After the success of Tucheze, the possibility of more casual dances is already being discussed in the highest echelons of student council. Whether its restructuring the winter dance to be informal or creating the tradition of a new casual dance, I, and the hundreds of others that were present at Tucheze, would fully support any chance to repeat the experience. Tucheze set a new standard for high school dances; lets not let it go to waste.