School dance.

Two words that have power over the unbreakable nerves of boys.

Two words that trigger thoughts of Homecoming and Prom.

These two words hardly ever are applied to junior high schools, but they can be for Pleasant Grove Junior High.

Parents drove up in mini-vans on Friday to drop off their junior high students at the old Pleasant Grove Rec Center for the annual "Back to School," dance.

Mandy Carson, PG Community Center employee and resident, is in charge of these events which are city-sponsored. She has several volunteers who help put on the dances.

"I started doing these dance eight years ago," she said. "There are always dances for the high school students, but there isn't really anything for those in junior high."

There are five dances each year for the students to attend: "Back to School," "Monster Mash," "Sub for Santa," "Cupid Ball," and "School is Out" for the summer.

Each of these dances charge a $4 entrance fee, except for special occasions. If you are dressed up in costume for the Monster Mash, bring money for Sub for Santa, or dress in formal attire for the Cupid Ball, you can get in for $3.

Parents don't need to worry about supervision; there are always adult chaperones keeping an eye on the students.

"It's fun because we get to hang out with friends, and there's not all that many adults around," said Jessica Terry.

The dance is just another time to be around with friends and go crazy.

"It's the perfect time to hang," said students Maddy Loveless and Morgan Dehoyos.

The dances go from 7:30-9:30 p.m.

"It gets even more fun at night, when the lights are out," said Shadie Searle, student.