Sadie Hawkins Dance

School dances are a big part of your high school experience. One that is approaching us is the Sadie Hawkins dance. Sadie Hawkins is a less formal dance held by a middle school, high school or college. Usually, male students invite females to school dances, and pay for their ticket and dinner. This dance is different from others because female students get to invite male students, and pay for their date. This dance allows a woman to take the initiative in inviting the man of her choice to escort her. Even if you don't like to dance, an event like this will create everlasting memories that you will look back on in the future. High school doesn't last forever! Junior and senior year will pass by in a flash, so you should enjoy these experiences while you can.

The Sadie Hawkins dance is named after a comic strip, Li'l Abner, created by cartoonist Al Capp. The character, Sadie Hawkins, was waiting for suitors to go out with her. When she reached 35 years old, her father was worried that she would live by herself for the rest of her life. Desperate to find love for his daughter, he gathered all of the unmarried men of Dogpatch and declared it "Sadie Hawkins Day." She got to chase the bachelors, and marry the men she caught. The town spinsters decided to make Sadie Hawkins Day a yearly event because it was such a good idea. If a woman caught a bachelor and dragged him across the finish line before sundown, he had to marry her. At our school, it is unnecessary to drag the boy we would like to take, to the dance. Accepting whether they say yes or no would be appropriate, and I would much rather go on a date that wasn't forced. 

This concept was created for women, allowing them to choose a date to the dance instead of waiting for a man to ask her. The first known Sadie Hawkins dance was held on November 15, 1938. Within a year similar events have followed, and by 1952, the event was celebrated at around 40,000 venues. A popular style of dance was "speed dancing" which is similar to speed dating. The DJ picks two people to start dancing and periodically, he will shout "snowball." This signals dancers to find new partners, and half of the people asking will be girls asking boys. This dance is used to get the dancing started, and people chosen cannot refuse to dance, thus growing the "snowball" on the dance floor. 

Ladies, this is your time to show men who's boss, so don't be afraid to ask a guy to the dance. Ask the guy you've been crushing on in a class of yours before someone else does! And don't forget to have fun! 

I Can't, I Have Rehearsal.

Singing is one talent that practically everyone possesses, however some are more skilled than others. Singing has always been my thing. Whether I was at home or at school, I would always be singing. I do not have a professional vocal coach nor do I aspire to be a singer in the future, but I have been apart of a choir in almost every year of elementary and middle school simply because I enjoy it. As high school was approaching, my choir teacher in middle school recommended that I continue singing in high school. Unsure of whether to take history or choir in the 9th grade, I made a last-minute decision to join Women's Chorale, and it was one that I do not regret!

There are three choral ensembles at Mira Mesa High School: Concert Choir, Women's Chorale, and Madrigals. Concert Choir is a course for students that are starting out with singing or have little experience. This ensemble is open to anyone, and the only requirement is an interest in singing! Women's Chorale, the ensemble I was in, is an advanced group made up of young women. To be in Women's Chorale, you must be recommended by a middle school teacher or audition to be in it. Lastly, Madrigals is the top vocal group at our school, generally consisting of 10th-12th graders that audition. I feel so thankful to have been given the opportunity to sing with so many talented girls. Choir last year was a great experience, and all of us girls really felt like one big family.

Singing all of these years has taught me many things, and has given me the opportunity to do what I love. I have learned many skills such as how to read music, and how to be an individual amongst a group of people. Performing by myself and with a group in front of many people has helped build my confidence and self-esteem. I was always nervous when I had to sing in front of the 50 people in my class, but once I would start singing, the nerves would go away. Even performing as a group can be scary because we always want to put on the best performance possible for the audience. Singing has given me the opportunity to sing the national anthem at a Padres Game. Seeing my face on a jumbotron was pretty cool! In the 8th grade, my choir was given the chance to compete in San Francisco against other schools. That was an amazing experience, as it was my first far-away trip from my family. From that trip, I received an email to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City! I didn't go, but I was glad to be offered that opportunity to share my talent.

Currently, I am not in a choir due to scheduling, but I have joined the Natural Harmonies club through audition at our school. Modeled after the TV show Glee, the club started last year by a group of Madrigal students. It is a club where students can engage in the arts, even if they can't fit it in their schedule. You can openly express yourself through singing and dancing, and you can make new friends. The club currently consists of about 15 members, and we would like more to join this semester! We rehearse every Tuesdays and Fridays during lunch in room 403. We welcome new members, so if you are interested, please come and try it out! See you there!

Here's a picture of Women's Chorale last year: