Country rhythms filled the air as couples participated in square dancing and other activities at the western-themed Sadie Hawkins dance, March 7. The event, organized by student leadership members, took place at night in a decorated barn at Quist dairy, near Jensen and Cornelia avenues in southeast Fresno County.
Many students dressed in traditional western wear, often sporting plaid shirts, cowboy hats and boots. The evening began with time for the students to socialize before the dinner of barbecue chicken or tri-tip with salad and bread.
Following the meal, couples gathered in the barn for dessert and square dancing. A caller explained the dance steps to give everyone a chance to learn the style. When the music started, everyone took their place, swung their partners and danced in circles.
The students then divided into groups for the scavenger hunt. The events in the hunt included piggy-back rides, bobbing for apples in a bucket containing 25 goldfish, a three-legged race and karaoke.
At the end of the night, student leadership members started two fires for marshmallow roasting.
“The whole western theme turned out really well,” Jessica Massie, ’11, said. “I was a bit disapointed by the bonfire because it was just two little fires, but my team won the scavenger hunt, so it was fun to win.”
The concept of square dancing was at first controversial among students, with several casting the idea aside. Junior Matthew Stumpf, however, said he enjoyed the activity.
“Square dancing was really fun,” Stumpf said. “It was really just a bunch of uncoordinated high schoolers attempting to dance in some form, which was fun to watch.
“The scavenger hunt was cool, but it wasn’t really a scavenger hunt. It was more of a rat race, but the race was still fun.”
While some students looked forward to Sadies, senior Mary Sargent said she declined to attend because she did not find anything about the event appealing.
“I’m not particularly interested in social school functions,” Sargent said. “I’m not in a position to take anyone, anyway.”
Although most of the students arranged dates, Massie arrived with a group of friends to experience Sadies.
“My favorite part of the night was when Josh [Hopper, ’12] and Daniel Hopper [’10] went to the midde of the barn and started dancing,” Massie said. “It was really funny and everyone loved it.”
For more information on Sadies, visit the March 4 article, Leadership ‘rustles up’ western-themed Sadies.