In addition to the usual twist of having girls ask boys, this year’s Sadie Hawkins dance was also turned into a benefit to help those affected by the earthquake that struck Haiti earlier this year. Around $1,000 was raised in donations, and an estimated 400 students attended the Feb. 26 dance that took place in the Small Gym.

Two dollars from the purchase of each student’s ticket went to the cause. Glow sticks were also sold at the door for a dollar each for the Haiti relief effort.

“It was a good idea using the money to donate to the Haiti cause,” junior Cid Diaz said. “We probably ended up making a significant contribution and it makes me feel glad that I was a part of it.”

New, creative ideas were not limited to only participating in the cause. To differentiate this dance from the previous one last year, it was held under a blacklight, which brought students to wear bright neon colors and white clothing.

“I thought the blacklight was pretty cool,” Diaz said. “It was legit how everyone’s shirts glowed purple during the dance and I could sometimes only see people’s glowsticks moving around people’s necks.”

Also unlike other dances, the music was more varied, from mainstream to some old artists, such as Michael Jackson.

“The DJ could have been better,” freshman Briana Bowker said. “He played some good songs, but he mostly added a lot of old songs that weren’t as upbeat. I didn’t really like it.”

However, this did not hamper the students from making the most of their time, even if they did not have dates and it summed up to be a smooth event.

“I thought this Sadies was better than the one last year,” sophomore Matthew Ishikawa said. “The black light was entertaining. Selling glow sticks and donating money made it a success.”