Tracy Press - October 27, 2007 - Danielle MacMurchy
Freakly Speaking
With school dances a much mulled-over topic among Tracy high school students, parents and administrators over the past month, the term "freak dancing" has become a local buzz word.
Now a handful of people in the midst of the dance issue at West High School have been asked to share their views on a panel of parents, educators and entertainer's on FOX's national "Morning Show with Mike and Juliet," which will most likely air Tuesday.
"I think people realized the overreaction of the district," said Laura Serrone, parent of a West High student. "This is not just a Tracy issue."
Serrone teamed with other West High parents to organize a private Las Vegas-themed dance Oct. 20 to replace the school's Homecoming Dance, which was canceled after a few dozen students were kicked out of a dance last month for freak dancing.
New rules set by a group of parents, students and administrators a month ago couldn't be implemented in time for the dance, according to West High Principal Herman Calad.
Serrone and her 14-years-old daughter, Danielle, got a call from the "Morning Show" Friday morning and were asked they would appear on the show Tuesday. West High parent Christine Crooks and 2002 West High grad Jeremiah North might also fly to New York City for the show. They expect a call this weekend for the final OK.
North, owner of Kid Red Entertainment in Ripon, helped about 10 West High parents host the Las Vegas-themed dance. He generally followed the school's rules, though he allowed any West High student into the dance. Under the new set of rules at the school, students must have fewer than 16 hours of Saturday School, a form of detention, to attend a dance.
About 15 chaperons enforced a semi-formal dress code, handed out wrist bands to monitor students and did not allow the disc jockey to play music with swear words.
"Something needs to be done about freak dancing, but they should just not allow students who get kicked out to go to another dance," a freshman student said. "I think it's wrong that they're punishing the whole student body for what only a few students did."
