TOLO replaced by new dances
By Eliza Pinckney, Reporter

As part of their plan to increase school spirit, ASB planned two dances that are new for the high school. TOLO, a formal dance for which girls traditionally ask guys, has been replaced with the Snowball, held on December 14, and Sadie Hawkins, planned for March 21. ASB planned these dances as TOLO was losing popularity with the student body.

The general premise of the Snowball was a formal winter-themed dance. Students attended the girls basketball game in formal attire beforehand, and then transitioned to the high school lunchroom for the dance itself. Roughly 150 students attended the Snowball and ASB made a $1000 profit. Sadie Hawkins is a more casual formal dance, with dates or groups dressing up in costumes.

“The girls ask guys thing has sort of died out at this school,” ASB co-president Alexia Taisey said. “For the past four years that I’ve been on ASB, I have been trying so hard to get the Sadie Hawkins dance to happen because I think it’s the most fun idea ever.”

ASB decided to host the Snowball early in the winter so that TOLO could be replaced with two dances instead of one. Dances have been very successful this year, with 75 percent of the student body attending Homecoming and 150 students attending a more casual dance.

“Attendance is a really big [goal] for us,” ASB co-president Talia Spurlock said. “This year has been super successful on really everything we’ve done so far. Homecoming was record breaking, which was amazing, so I would love both of the dances to be super packed with people.”

High dance attendance is a trend that ASB believes will continue throughout this year, especially with pep assemblies, spirit weeks leading up to both dances, and winter themed events for the Snowball.

Sadie Hawkins is also a formal dance. However, instead of formal clothes, Sadie Hawkins is about dressing up in costume with a date, a group, or on your own. The concept of fun costumes is new to the high school and aims to create a sense of school spirit between all students.

“[It’s good to be] able to have these fun little memories with everyone and experience these kinds of cool things that not every school gets to have,” Taisey said. “We didn’t have the Sadie Hawkins until this year, and now we get to experience it all together for the first time.”

The Snowball and Sadie Hawkins are both designed to be big dances, but ASB is also expecting to have a third dance, likely a casual one after a sports game, so students will feel more encouraged to come.

“I would like [dances] to remind kids that you can participate in school activities and you can be cheesy and have as much fun as you want and you don’t have to be ‘too cool for school,’” Spurlock said. “It’s really just about being a kid and having as much fun as possible with the friends that you only have for so long.”