By Emily Petillon
Managing Editor
Mira Costa’s Associated Student Body should be applauded for its decision to break with tradition and make spring formal into a Sadie Hawkins-style dance, as this decision promotes gender equality on Costa’s campus and adds a new twist to dances.
Instead of adhering to the typical protocol for formal dances, where boys ask girls to accompany them, ASB decided to make this year’s spring formal, which takes place tonight, a Sadies dance. Girls, instead, are encouraged to ask boys to go to the dance with them, flipping the traditional gender roles.
ASB was originally considering making winter formal a Sadie Hawkins-style dance but ultimately decided that it was too risky to try something new for an already-established school event because it carried the possibility of losing money. ASB decided to create a new spring formal to test the idea and to possibly create a new Costa tradition, a wise and creative move by ASB. This innovative thinking has allowed the women of Costa to take control of who they take to dances.
By choosing to hold the dance at an off-campus venue, the El Segundo Auto Museum, ASB distinguishes this spring formal from its usual school dances, which are held in the campus gym. Co-Commissioner of Entertainment junior Kristin Reed believes having an off-campus venue will increase attendance by sparking interest in the change of scene. This attempt will bring variation to the expected format of ASB dances and could draw people who normally do not attend school dances.
ASB promoted the use of social media to advertise the event through the use of the hashtag #whathappensatsadies. ASB asked students to tag their proposals with the hashtag on social media. From these participants, ASB chose and recognized the most creative proposal. This innovative use of social media is an admirable attempt on ASB’s part to involve students in the dance in creative ways that have not been done before.
The decision to keep the dress code casual cements the idea that this is a change from typical school dance events and will work to draw in students who are put off by spending time and money on formal clothing and transportation. The overall lowered cost of spring formal makes it more accessible to a wider variety of students.
By encouraging people to dress up in couples costumes, the dance acquires a more distinctive, lighthearted atmosphere.
By flipping the expected gender roles, spring formal helps to promote feminism and gender equality. Senior Lynn Wang believes that by creating a safe way for girls to step up and show initiative, Costa is helping to create an empowered gender dynamic, subverting the expectation that only boys can pursue girls. Through little steps like this, Costa can support equal opportunity.
ASB should be applauded for attempting to move toward new, innovative formats for school dances, as well as trying to promote feminism and equality through subverting traditional gender norms.
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