Imagine stepping foot into a monstrous circle of people, filled to the rim with other people, dancing to hit songs. Glitter is being thrown in the air. The sun has set and colorful lights are flashing on the bottom of the bridge everyone is dancing under. It’s not a rave: it’s the Under the Bridge Dance.
Hastings High’s annual Under the Bridge Dance is seen as a rite of passage for incoming freshmen and seniors alike.
It is a fairly controversial dance that not every student enjoys attending. Most freshmen experience a mild case of culture shock as they step foot “under the bridge” for the first time, not knowing what to expect.
“It wasn’t at all how I expected it to be, but that’s what made it fun. And I still had a good time,” freshman Sarah Spilinek said.
Spilinek got together with a group of friends beforehand to get ready and take pictures together. They had discussed their hypotheses for how the evening would turn out, but none of them held true.
Spilinek assumed the dance would include a place and food to take a break, and was disappointed to discover that this was not the case.
“If I could change anything, I would probably add more refreshments. It was hot,” Spilinek said.
Although newcomers are faced with a new and exciting experience, some upperclassmen consider themselves jaded experts when it comes to the Under the Bridge Dance.
Senior Max Hahn is no exception. Hahn said that the 2016 UTBD was only “kind of fun” in comparison to previous years.
“I feel like it was more fun the first time I went because there was more people and it felt weird being the oldest people there this year,” Hahn said.
An additional student who wishes to remain anonymous would like to see reform within the dance itself.
“The type of dancing that takes place wouldn’t be allowed during school hours. I don’t know why it’s allowed at a dance then,” she said.
However, most students and teachers see no problem with the dance and view it solely as a fun and traditional experience for students.
In a random poll of ten classrooms, which were made up of 196 students, 103 students said they have attended at least one Under the Bridge Dance.
An interesting thing to note, though, is that only 64 intend to participate in a future UTBD.
“I leave the UTBD every year with mixed feelings. I never regret going, but it is a little weird,” junior Daisy Mohler said.
Mohler said that being at the dance helped her grasp the culture of Hastings High. It showed how if students are having a good time, they don’t need to be fighting or in disagreements; everyone can simply enjoy the others’ company.
One thing that most students – whether they are a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior – can agree on is that it is important to attend at least one UTBD in your career at Hastings High.
