By Sam Dupree
Colorful strobe lights flash to illuminate the darkness of the otherwise lightless room. Music plays at such an intense volume that people can hardly hear themselves think. Teens dance and sing along to the newest Beyoncé song. The party has begun.
On Sept. 9 the Neutral Zone kicked the new school year off with another blacklight party at The B-side. Blacklight parties, also known as raves, have become a common point of interest for Ann Arbor students.
They’re a way for teens of all ages to go hang out with friends, relax, and dance to their heart’s content to great music.
"It’s nice to have the freedom to go outside and be with friends,” said Pioneer junior Aggie Reyes.
The Neutral Zone organizers said that they wanted to celebrate the end of summer vacation with a special event to give teens one last chance to feel free and have a good time together before school got too intense.
According to their mission statement, “The Neutral Zone is a diverse, youth-driven teen center dedicated to promoting personal growth through artistic expression, community leadership and the exchange of ideas.” With this mission, it’s understandable why their parties are beloved by teens all around Ann Arbor. They let teens open up and be who they are with other people who feel the same way. They also understand the importance of creating a fun environment for teens who are under a lot of stress from school, family, and extracurriculars.
“I like the raves because the stress of school makes me feel too grown up,” said Community High School junior Terah Blackwell, “but these parties make me feel more like a teen, how I should always feel.”
So far, all these parties have been thrown at The B-side, a concert venue run right out of the Neutral Zone. The two most popular parties were highlighter parties, where teens draw on each other with highlighters while they dance, which are then illuminated under the black lights. It is recommended that people attend such parties wearing white. As strange as this may sound, the black lights make the drawings glow like stars in the night sky.
Something unique about the most recent party is that all proceeds went to support the Black Lives Matter movement in Detroit. “The money will go to funding schools, black owned businesses, and college funds,” said Neutral Zone member and Community High School student Clarence Collins. The BLM Detroit movement is committed to respecting and celebrating differences among people and advancing the lives of black people of all sexualities, gender identities, and nationalities.
Unfortunately, the most recent party wasn’t as publicized as most of the highlighter parties. Around 300 fewer people attended this one, organizers say, compared to both previous highlighter parties.
“It takes a lot of promotion to get a party well attended,” Collins said. This one was listed as a blacklight party, which may have thrown some people off. Also because it was thrown at the beginning of the year some people might have been unaware of it. No matter what they’re called or what the theme is, though, attendees agree that these parties are a great place for socializing and relaxing with friends.
Ann Arbor students have lots of time to plan for the next highlighter party, as it isn’t going to be until April 7, 2017. According to the B-side’s website you can expect lasers, highlighters, and dancing.
“I’m around people who understand my kind of stress,” said Blackwell, “and all of them want to let it out just as much as I do, so we dance, get crazy and have a good time.”
On Sept. 9 the Neutral Zone kicked the new school year off with another blacklight party at The B-side. Blacklight parties, also known as raves, have become a common point of interest for Ann Arbor students.
They’re a way for teens of all ages to go hang out with friends, relax, and dance to their heart’s content to great music.
"It’s nice to have the freedom to go outside and be with friends,” said Pioneer junior Aggie Reyes.
The Neutral Zone organizers said that they wanted to celebrate the end of summer vacation with a special event to give teens one last chance to feel free and have a good time together before school got too intense.
According to their mission statement, “The Neutral Zone is a diverse, youth-driven teen center dedicated to promoting personal growth through artistic expression, community leadership and the exchange of ideas.” With this mission, it’s understandable why their parties are beloved by teens all around Ann Arbor. They let teens open up and be who they are with other people who feel the same way. They also understand the importance of creating a fun environment for teens who are under a lot of stress from school, family, and extracurriculars.
“I like the raves because the stress of school makes me feel too grown up,” said Community High School junior Terah Blackwell, “but these parties make me feel more like a teen, how I should always feel.”
So far, all these parties have been thrown at The B-side, a concert venue run right out of the Neutral Zone. The two most popular parties were highlighter parties, where teens draw on each other with highlighters while they dance, which are then illuminated under the black lights. It is recommended that people attend such parties wearing white. As strange as this may sound, the black lights make the drawings glow like stars in the night sky.
Something unique about the most recent party is that all proceeds went to support the Black Lives Matter movement in Detroit. “The money will go to funding schools, black owned businesses, and college funds,” said Neutral Zone member and Community High School student Clarence Collins. The BLM Detroit movement is committed to respecting and celebrating differences among people and advancing the lives of black people of all sexualities, gender identities, and nationalities.
Unfortunately, the most recent party wasn’t as publicized as most of the highlighter parties. Around 300 fewer people attended this one, organizers say, compared to both previous highlighter parties.
“It takes a lot of promotion to get a party well attended,” Collins said. This one was listed as a blacklight party, which may have thrown some people off. Also because it was thrown at the beginning of the year some people might have been unaware of it. No matter what they’re called or what the theme is, though, attendees agree that these parties are a great place for socializing and relaxing with friends.
Ann Arbor students have lots of time to plan for the next highlighter party, as it isn’t going to be until April 7, 2017. According to the B-side’s website you can expect lasers, highlighters, and dancing.
“I’m around people who understand my kind of stress,” said Blackwell, “and all of them want to let it out just as much as I do, so we dance, get crazy and have a good time.”