_PNG.png){kind=small}
Why High School Dances are Worth Getting Bronchitis For
By: Rachel Chung
After semi-formal I went home in a cloud of glitter and exhaustion. My phone kept buzzing with messages from friends: photos and the occasional “have you seen my bag/jacket/makeup?” I fell asleep with pink lipgloss smudged into my pillowcase and my diary opened to a blank page with the words “Semi was sooo fun!!!” scrawled in my loopy, messy writing
I woke up the next morning with bronchitis. Here’s why I’d do it all again.
High school dances have always been rich with opportunities and experiences. And naturally, since it is the middle of November, a varied assortment of diseases. Some of my classmates went home with boyfriends or girlfriends. Some of my other classmates went home with burning fevers or sore throats. Most of us got trampled by the crushing crowds around us and now sported various bruises from being stepped on, elbowed, shoved or even accidentally punched. The idea of simultaneously sweaty and shivering crowds of high school students in a cramped room probably doesn’t seem that appealing to you. But let me explain the appeal of semi-formal.
When else will you have the opportunity to jump up and down in a packed banquet hall with approximately a hundred of your classmates? When else would you go through the entire process of planning outfits, rides, and seating arrangements? Most importantly, when will you ever have the chance to experience a night like semi-formal again? Everything about it is novel and exhilarating. It is nine thirty p.m. and you are singing Perfect by Ed Sherman and your arms are around your best friend. That one boy you like is wearing a white button down shirt and a black tie. That teacher you hate is going wild on the dance floor. The boy in the back of your math class is being lifted up onto someone else’s shoulders until he towers above the whole mass of screaming, jumping teenagers. Life seems exciting and crazy and you feel very young and very overwhelmed by it all.
In recent years there has been a growing concern among adults that students are no longer interested in school dances. After all, those dances used to serve as a rare opportunity for students to socialize with each other outside of a school environment. However, in the age of Instagram DMs and Snap streaks it’s simply not that hard to connect with your friends without even leaving your house. But the truth is that after a few rough years of zoom calls and social distancing we want to see our friends and physically be with them. FaceTimes and Instagram posts cannot replicate the solid feeling of holding onto someone else’s hand as you can literally feel the floor vibrating from the blasting speaker. No matter how high your snap score is you will not be able to look up and see multicoloured lights and hundreds of hands reaching towards the ceiling. Sending someone else reels will never replace being able to scream One Direction songs in a hot, crowded room where you are surrounded by your friends.
The purpose of this article is not to scorn the widespread and meaningful relationship our generation has with the internet. Instead, I wanted to truly showcase the magic that still exists within the time-honoured tradition of high school dances. In the words of my friends and classmates, semi-formal was fun. It was dangerous. It was enjoyable. It was happy, it was unforgettable, it was exciting. It was and will continue to be one of the best nights of our lives.
Lest We Forget: The History of Remembrance Day
Source: The Canadian Encyclopedia
By: Rachel Chung
In Canada, Remembrance Day is often overshadowed by more celebratory holidays such as Halloween or Christmas. However, it is still important that every November 11th each and every one of us takes a moment to acknowledge the efforts and sacrifices that Canadian soldiers made in previous wars which have led to our present quality of life.
You might remember some Remembrance Day customs from elementary or high school—poppies pinned onto shirts, the poem or song “In Flanders Fields”, and the moment of silence preceded by the sound of a trumpet. But why do these traditions exist?
Poppies are probably the most recognizable symbol of Remembrance Day. But did you know that people only began wearing poppies three years after WWI in 1921? Madame Anna Guérin of France was the first to create the idea of poppies as a symbol of remembrance. She founded charities in support of war orphans and began to create fabric poppies as a way to obtain funds. Madame Guérin’s idea was then presented to France and its allies including The Great War Veterans Association (known today as The Royal Canadian Legion). The concept of wearing a poppy for remembrance was finally officially enacted on July 6, 1921.
The famous opening lines of Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae’s poem have probably been repeated by elementary school students all over Canada. Every year a new group of students learns the words “In Flanders Fields the poppies blow/ between the crosses, row on row,...” The origins of this poem actually date back to the Napoleonic wars where the abundance of poppies growing on the graves of soldiers was noted. The same heartbreaking visual greeted Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae as he was serving in World War I. The crimson red flowers which bloomed so brightly against the bleak, muddy fields where so many soldiers had died inspired McCrae to write a poem. He wrote thirteen beautiful and poignant lines upon a spare scrap of paper which he apparently almost discarded. Soldiers found the poem and decided to submit it to two magazines. It was accepted and published into Punch magazine, a London-based magazine. The poem quickly became popular for its poetic descriptions of the horrors that people experienced during the first World War, and retains its popularity to this day. As a matter of fact, Madame Guérin was actually inspired by McCrae’s poem when she was creating the very first fabric remembrance poppies. The poem only continued to grow in popularity all over the world and on April 20, 1915 J. Deane Wells’ musical version of McCrae’s iconic poem was officially copyrighted. Both the song and the poem remain popular today and are often included at all types of Canadian Remembrance Day assemblies from elementary school assemblies to the National Remembrance Day Ceremony in Ottawa.
A core part of Remembrance Day for Canadians all over the country is the moment of silence. At exactly eleven o’clock a.m. the country stops for two minutes in total silence. According to The Royal Canadian Legion “At the stroke of eleven, Canadians across the country join to collectively pause for two minutes of silence to honour, thank and remember the Fallen. This sacred moment also symbolizes Canada standing sentry in silence as the Fallen rest.” During these two minutes Canadians are encouraged to think of the losses suffered by Canadian soldiers and their families and how their bravery helped to bring terrible wars to an end. Canadians observe the moment of silence at eleven o’clock on the dot to truly honour the peace and the official end of World War I. The armistice or peace agreement was signed by the Allies and Germany in France at exactly eleven o’clock on November 11th–the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
In conclusion, Remembrance Day is a holiday which is rich in history, traditions, and significance. By learning more about the origins of Remembrance Day and its customs we can truly honour the Canadian fallen soldiers and thank them for their service in making our country what it is today. So for the next Remembrance Day, and for all the ones after that be sure to remember the significance of not only the date itself but of the things that we do to show our thanks to the Canadians who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Hey everyone! Sorry this month's newsletter is a little late... Still, all of us here at YLoYR hope that you enjoy this month's newsletter. Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to get e-mail notifications everytime we post! Stay tuned for next month's newsletter!
Your Writers,
Joanne, Grace, and Rachel
✨✨✨