On Friday, Feb. 16, Warrior Nation held its annual winter dance.  As attendants wandered through the Valentine’s Day-themed decor, the dance helped unite a combined total of 34 special-education and general-education students.

“I really relied on the Warrior Nation board to plan it; they did all of the work,” education specialist Nick Card said.  “We have Warrior Nation board meetings every other week and [it was] through those board meetings [that they were able to divide up the responsibilities]…The board did an amazing job planning this dance [which took about five weeks to plan].”

Meanwhile, many of the students present also enjoyed the dance. Over the course of the two-hour event, other attendees danced, feasted on cookies, Stonefire Grill pasta and breadsticks or just talked to friends.

“I like talking to my friends that I have in Warrior Nation; it’s a good social event to hang out with them in,” Warrior Nation member and sophomore Nicholas Cronin said.

As for the dance itself, the atmosphere was less crowded and sparsely decorated when compared to a traditional high school dance, making it a more relaxed experience ideal for anyone in Special Education. In addition, the dance has a significantly lower cost, making it a more economical choice than Jersey Jam or Winter Formal.   

“I thought that [the dance] was a great time to hang with friends and learn about others,” senior Chico Manqueros said.

In the meantime, Card encourages more students to come to Warrior Nation.

“The Warrior Nation dances are really fun and I would encourage anyone to come and check it out,” Card said.