WJ step team, co-captain Taylor Simmonds leads her line with rhythm through every stomp, clap and pose. The step team performed several dances at the event.

Clifford Hubbard, one of the most enthusiastic dancers on the WJ Dance team, flings his arms wide. “Dancing requires character and passion,” Hubbard said. “Without it, you’re just moving.”

Junior Taylor Simmonds is one of the most passionate people on the dance team. “Step makes me happy because it’s a way for me to express myself,” Simmonds said. “The energy, rhythm, and movement allow me to show who I am. What makes it even better is the amazing community.”

The step team performs In front of a live audience at the BSU block party.

Senior BSU members pose for picture during the block party. The block party acted as a senior night, a parting gift, a final gathering for WJ senior Black Student Union members.

BSU President, senior Mwape Sokoni poses for a picture at BSU’s annual block party with senior Eglan Hagos.

Eglan Hagos and Nuhamin Demissie, two senior leaders of the Black Student Union, pose for a photo. “I feel that having a community of like peers is like having a family outside of home,” Hagos said. “You bond with these people and create memories you never would have thought you’d have before meeting them. Having this community is like a wall of support, people you can fall back onto and rely on without thinking twice.”