For years, there’s been talk at Chamblee advocating for a Sadie Hawkins dance in addition to the Homecoming and Prom dances Chamblee puts on annually. In a Sadie Hawkins dance, the girls ask the guys out instead of the other way around, as it is traditionally. However, this gender cliche may be outdated. Every year, the Student Government Association (SGA) puts on Homecoming, and it’s not just a dance, it’s an ordeal. From the hallway decorating competition the weekend before, to spirit week, to photo booths, and a DJ, Homecoming is the ultimate CHS dance for every grade.
Whether they’ve helped set up or just dressed up for the theme days in the past, most Chamblee students agree it’s the best thing SGA puts on. But this dance wouldn’t be possible without the help of students, teachers, and parents. Rachael Staskiewicz (‘26) is a member of SGA who has helped Homecoming after Homecoming and has laid out what it would take to have a Sadie Hawkins dance.
“It would be great to have one. Everyone would love to have one. The only problem is we don’t have the people to execute [another dance]. I was in charge of the Homecoming Dance committee, and we had eight people show up on the day of Homecoming. You can’t set up an entire dance with eight people,” said Staskiewicz.
She explained that the reason Homecoming is the only schoolwide dance per year is not because of the lack of supplies, low funds, or scheduling conflicts, but the lack of people to help. Staskiewicz believes that to put on a Sadie Hawkins dance, people need to be willing to show up and help, but they aren’t.
“Everyone wants [a dance], but nobody thinks about how much effort it actually is,” said Staskiewicz. “People want to participate. They don’t want to help; they just want to come. I love our student body, but that’s the problem.”
Because of the lack of help, Ms. Kaspar and Ms. Clark, the teacher sponsors of SGA, shut down the idea of a Sadie Hawkins dance. The two teachers end up doing all the work after only a handful of people show up on the day of the dance to decorate and prepare.
Caroline Coburn (‘28) and Vivian Shoemaker (‘28) are in SGA and helped with homecoming, receiving a free ticket for their decorating help; however, they believe the free ticket policy Ms. Kaspar instated to recruit help was overused and taken advantage of by many students. The two agreed it would be fun to have a dance, but help is hard to come by.
“I feel like not a lot of SGA helped, but if more of SGA helped, they would be able to pull off a [Sadie Hawkins Dance],” said Shoemaker.
John Coke (‘27) believes that the possibility of a Sadie Hawkins dance doesn’t have to do with gender cliches, but just an excuse for another dance, no matter who asks who. Plus, he’s willing to help make it happen.
“I’ve heard of girls asking guys out as much as guys asking girls out nowadays, but I think it’d be cool just to sort of reverse it, even if it’s not necessarily fully traditional,” said Coke. “I think it’s a fun concept, and I think it’s great to have another dance in the spring anyway. Hopefully [people will help make it happen], I know I will.”
Ms. Chloe Kaspar, one of two teacher sponsors for the Student Government Association, said she thinks the overall idea of a Sadie Hawkins dance is outdated because couple dynamics have so drastically changed.
“Why are we still doing [Sadie Hawkins dances] in 2025? Why are we setting this up just so that women have permission to ask out men when all people aren’t coupled like that?” said Kaspar.
Ms. Kaspar said she would be fine with a spring dance, not a Sadie Hawkins, as long as a date for the dance could be found.
“It really just comes down to when the least disruptive time is. It’s hard to get on the calendar,” said Kaspar.
With everything SGA does in the spring, Ms. Kaspar’s greatest concern is timing. Between the annual musical, screen on the green, Black History Month festivities, and the months of April and May stolen to standardized testing, getting a dance on the schedule is difficult.
However, CHS has proven it is possible. In 2003, CHS put on a winter dance that required less preparation than homecoming, but still had a royal court and themed decor. The Blue and Gold Newspaper published an article in an early print edition, and the title reads “Winter Snowball: A New Tradition Begins.” Sadly, this hopeful tradition didn’t last. Maybe the end of the tradition was due to the lack of student help, schedule conflicts, or overall support and enthusiasm regarding a dance.
While some students may like to have a Sadie Hawkins dance, the lack of student participation and schedule conflicts are obstacles in planning and getting a dance approved. If students are passionate enough to want a spring or Sadie Hawkins dance, Chamblee is capable of making it happen, but enough people have to be committed.
