Postponed Winter Dance Funds HBCU College Trip
Media by Aleena Shaik
MACC postponed the winter dance to March 5, due to snow days. Special Education teacher Dr. Holly Hick, sponsor of MACC, hopes MHS students buy tickets to the winter dance to support the MACC. “The Marquette community is always so supportive,” Hick said. “I hope people come out to represent.”
Doubling as a fundraiser and a school dance, the winter dance, which was rescheduled from Saturday, Feb. 5 to Saturday, March 5, produces most of the funding for the Marquette Academic Culture Club (MACC).
Sophomore Lani Hines, co-president of the MACC, said MACC is trying to raise money for college trips to historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
“We don’t get much money and donations for our club,” Hines said. “There is a certain amount of money we are trying to reach.”
According to Special Education teacher Dr. Holly Hick, sponsor of MACC, MACC needs to sell 67 tickets to break even, but are hoping to sell double the amount.
Hick said the HBCU college trips are about creating access to opportunity for students of color.
“Some of the students who are going on this trip haven’t had the opportunity to visit a college campus at all, much less one where everyone looks like them,” Hick said.
MACC’s college trip will be from June 6 to 8 and have stops in Memphis, Tenn. and Jackson, Miss., according to Hick.
Hines said that in years before, the dance has had basic themes such as Winter Wonderland and Valentine’s Day. This year MACC wanted to try something new.
Some of the students who are going on this trip haven’t had the opportunity to visit a college campus at all, much less one where everyone looks like them.
— Dr. Holly Hick
We wanted to do something different and [a theme to] not reappear, so we did Dazzling Disco,” Hines said. “People like shiny things and want to dress up in cute, sparkly dresses, so we decided that that would be good.”
Former senior principal Carl Hudson used to sponsor the MACC and was the one planning the winter dances the years before. Even though this is Hick’s first time planning a school dance, she said it has been an awesome experience.
“I could not have done it without having such a generous community,” Hick said. “We got a 20-inch disco ball and tried to keep everything colorful to keep with the disco theme.”
Hick said students who have bought tickets but can’t make the March 5 date are able to get a refund.
Because the change in date was so sudden, as the dance gets closer, MACC will make announcements and have a new spirit week, according to Hick.
While the winter dance might not be as popular as other school dances such as Prom and Homecoming, Megan Lawson, freshman, said she is looking forward to it.
“I’m looking forward to hanging out with my friends and having a good time,” Lawson said. “I think it will be fun.”
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Aleena Shaik (she/her), junior, is a staff reporter for the Marquette Messenger. This is her first year on staff. She is a part of multiple clubs such...
