Laughter and shouting could be heard among those in attendance Jan. 7 at the Cranbury School’s second Jamfest.
By:Audrey Levine
Students ran back and forth through the halls, stopping to speak with friends and pausing to play a quick game of Ping-Pong or listen to student bands.
Laughter and shouting could be heard among those in attendance Jan. 7 at the Cranbury School’s second Jamfest, a carnival for students in grades six through eight. The event, which gets its name from the student bands that play there, was introduced last year as an alternative for students who may not be comfortable attending regular boy/girl dances and who want another venue in which to spend time with their friends.
"I think Jamfest is a great idea because it gives them active, fun things to do," said Andrea Faraci, a parent volunteer and mother of an eighth-grade student.
Jamfest was introduced last spring when students expressed interest in holding an event without the usual pressures of a dance, said Judith Ulinsky, Student Council adviser. The students then involved the various school clubs, which helped determine what would be offered.
Parents supervised the activities this year and the Municipal Drug Alliance rented all the equipment.
As an added bonus, several student bands volunteered to perform this year. Each band played a few songs for full crowds as parents and students watched and listened with delight in their eyes and video cameras in their hands.
"I thought the kids needed something other than their dances," said Jane Holland, PTO president.
Ms. Holland says Jamfest is a good event for students to spend time with their friends, playing games and generally having a good time.
"There aren’t many places in town to do that," she said.
This year, the event not only served as a fun alternative on a Friday night, it also benefited a good cause. All money paid for admission to Jamfest was donated to the tsunami disaster relief. Altogether, the school raised $1,007 for the relief effort, including money raised during the school day.
"It is better than the dances," said Samantha Pinto, a sixth-grader attending the event for the first time. "(And the money) goes to the tsunami victims so that’s probably why a lot of people came."
She and two of her friends sat in the cafeteria, munching on nachos and fries and enjoying each other’s company.
"It’s more fun than a dance," said Jennifer Baron, also in sixth-grade, agreeing with her friend.
To prepare for the event, Ms. Holland said students voted on the games, movies and food they wanted available to them.
"We wanted to give them a sense of ownership," she said.
Activities offered included volleyball, basketball, Dance Dance Revolution, Noc Hockey, Air Hockey, Ping-Pong, foosball, board games and movies. Students were able to drift between the different stations, spread out through several areas of the building.
"I think it’s a nice opportunity for the kids to get together after school," said Annmarie Enos, who supervised the foosball tables and whose sixth-grade son attended the event.
Lauren Hebert, another volunteer parent, said she enjoyed watching students participate in activities in which they normally would not. She said she was interested in seeing students who are normally not "sporty" playing such games as Ping-Pong and Noc Hockey.
"As a parent, it’s fun to see the mixing groups," she said.
"I like the DDR because it’s really fun even though I never played it," said Amanda Shaffer, an eighth-grader, as she sat in the cafeteria with her friends.
As eighth-graders, she and her friends will not be able to attend the carnival next year and they admitted they will miss it.
Jessica Charwin, an eighth-grader whose younger brother Alex, a sixth-grader, attended Jamfest for the first time this year, said she will miss spending time with her friends who she may be separated from in high school next year.
"I’m going to miss watching people play DDR," said Chelsea Persons, an eighth-grader.
"And the teachers (playing DDR)," Elisabethe Maselli, an eighth-grader, said with a smile.
And aside from having so many different activities to choose from, the students said they relished that, for one night, they were allowed to run through the halls without being stopped by teachers.
"I think they love the idea of being able to wander around the school with no one yelling at them but me," said Ms. Holland, smiling.
Even with all the opportunities available at the carnival, a few seventh-graders were looking for something different.
"I wish they had more options, less games, more hands-on activities," said Danielle Dredger, a seventh-grader, as she played foosball with a few of her friends.
Michael Hellstern, a sixth-grader, stood by a window with his friends watching the Dance Dance Revolution participants.
"My favorite is DDR because it’s good music," he said. "It’s fun because you get to dance."
While Kelly O’Grady, a sixth-grader, enjoyed having the freedom to run down the halls without trouble, she did have fun with the activities offered.
"I like Air Hockey because when you play against your friends, you can get competitive," she said.
Overall, the event was a great success in its second year with an estimated 95 percent of the middle school students attending.
Max Dickey, a sixth-grader, best summed up his thoughts on Jamfest as he sat at a cafeteria table playing Connect Four with his friends.
"There’s lots of things you wouldn’t do on a Friday night," he said.