By Kelly Brown

Staff Writer

    Sadies Hawkins dance, what does it mean for R.J. Reynolds High School, Senior Girls Service Club, and Girls Council? Sadies is a highly anticipated tradition at RJR, starting at RJR four years ago. Two years after Sadies began at RJR, Girls Council joined in on the celebration. SGSC and GC’s commitment is giving back to the community, with extremely meaningful volunteer participation, such as the H.O.P.E. truck. 

    H.O.P.E. trucks’ mission is to defeat food insecurity and improve children’s health. Volunteer work is the main purpose of both GC and SGSC. The dance is a highlight of each member’s dedication to their volunteer services. It is no simple feat for these girls to juggle school, sports, and extracurriculars, but each one always finds time to give back to the community.

    “Sadie’s is really a second-semester celebration for all the girls’ hard work,” Rebecca Davidyock says,       

    The girls’ hard work and dedication pay off regardless of the dance, but really provide extra motivation for the girls participating in volunteer work due to the number of hours needed in order to attend the dance.  

   “I’ve heard about some sophomores and freshmen being bummed out about not being able to attend Sadies because they are new members.” Co-President, Patterson Butler of SGSC said.  

Attendance at Sadie’s overall requires ten in-club hours and 4 out-of-club hours, accompanied by selling at least 5 candy grams. This requirement is not always met by underclassmen.  Being in SGSC and GC means hard work, creating an environment for the members of GC and SGSC to congratulate each other for giving back to the community. SGSC and GC creates long lasting bonds among members.

    Sadie Hawkins is distinct from other dances because it defies traditional gender roles by having the girls ask the guys. This tradition began nationally in the late 1930’s, before it came to RJR. Now known as a symbol for female empowerment, this dance is a fitting representation of devoted hard work by the Senior Girls Service Club and Girls Council.