A Night at the Movies: Juniors Welcome Freshmen at Dance

Following the Seniors’ welcome of the Freshman Class two weeks ago, the California Junior Class took its turn hosting a dance for the Class of 2026 last Saturday night. Hours of hard work came to fruition as Juniors set up a “movie night sleepover”-themed event in St. Joseph Commons.

The Commons, cleared of dining tables and chairs, sported a temporary dance floor and cozy decorations: a prop bed in one corner, couches at the peripheries, and tables full of pizzas, chips, and sundry snacks served to turn the room into a “home theater.” On the walls, iconic movie posters and an elaborate silhouette of famous movie scenes served as the finishing touch. But before the dance kicked off, it was time for a pre-dance show.

In St. Cecilia Hall’s Fitz B. Burns Auditorium, students filled the seats and whispered amongst themselves as the lights went down. A labor of love, the Junior Class worked hard to make a hilarious short film: Following a series of brief parodies, the main show began to unwind the story of “the Don” in A Long Night in La Mancha, a noir film pastiche with a Quixotic twist. The production was a hit, filling the space with howls of laughter and thundering applause. “I really love noir settings, so I had a great time,” a freshman said.

Back in the Commons, live music greeted the classes, and students lost themselves on the dance floor. Throughout the course of the evening, several students took to the stage, the live band rotating its members. Laughter, singing, and conversation complemented the music, filling the Commons with a pleasant din. In some corners, board games sprouted up, teams vying against one another.

The band, which took a break after its first set, struck up again at 10 o’clock as the Commons filled with the other two classes. The party swelled in energy, and students danced — swings, waltzes, and salsas — well into the night.