Eaton High School hosted a Sadie Hawkins dance for the second year in a row, allowing students to gather together and have a fun night. The Student Council is trying to make Sadies a tradition within the school community. Attendance at this year’s dance was lower than expected due to other sports and events going on the same day.
The dance is different in the fact that the girls at the school ask the boys. At EHS, this event is in a growth stage as it is worked to increase students’ attendance, with this only being the second year. The dance was run by the Student Council and was held on Feb. 28.
“It took a couple access periods to plan the decorations. And then it took a couple of hours the morning of Sadies to put together, and then we also had to stay to take it down after. A lot of planning went into Sadies and what we wanted it to look like,” said STUCO adviser Justice Aleman.
Even with a small turnout, the dance still showed the effort that STUCO put into planning and setting up for the dance. The dance theme was “A Starry Night In Paris,” and the decorations and music helped to create a fun atmosphere. At a lot of schools, Sadies has become a highly attended event. Eaton High School continues to work to create a similar experience for the students. Expanding the popularity of this event could lead to stronger student interest. Greater participation may encourage more students, especially underclassmen, to feel more included in school activities.
“I am thinking, because of the sporting events, that the dance attendance got planned later on, [and] that is why we did not have much turnout. But, I think we need to do a bit of rebranding for next year,” said Mrs. Aleman.
The planning for future Sadies dances is already on the way with a focus on improving turnout. Current plans include holding the next Sadies dance in January with the hope that a date change to a different month will generate new interest and grow the event.
“If upperclassmen set the example that Sadies is fun, then the participation will increase over the years,” said Raelynn Bartel (26), the Student Council president for the 25-26 school year.
New school traditions often require a lot of time and participation to fully develop. Continued promotion from STUCO and a larger amount of student involvement could contribute to the long-term success of this event at EHS in the upcoming years.
The future of this dance remains focused on growth and overall interest from the students. With ongoing planning and adjustments, Sadies has the potential to become a recognized tradition within Eaton High School. Over time, the hope is that continued growth will turn this dance into one of the most recognized and enjoyed events of the year. With Sadies becoming a bigger event, the underclassmen will have two dances to participate in each year instead of only homecoming. Events like Sadies are important to the students because they build up school spirit and give students a chance to connect and get together outside of school and sports during the weekends.
