Archive | November 2019

You May Not Care Now, But You Will in Four Years

As a senior at NNHS High School, I will finally be able to vote in the presidential election next year. It’s more important now than ever to know what’s going on in politics and to keep up with current events. Whether you believe it or not, every decision in politics will affect you. It’s our responsibility as citizens to vote because our opinions matter and our voices need to be heard. Think about it, in four short years, most of us will be graduating college, starting jobs, paying taxes, and this election will impact our future lives in a major way. 

 

This year, students in Urban History were assigned a project to register as many students to vote as possible. Sean van Dril, a former NNHS student, created a digital program to help high schoolers get registered to vote called RegiStart. He reached out to the urban history classes and had the students ask their friends to register to vote. Each student had to get at least 10 of their friends to register to vote. In just 5 days, the number of NNHS seniors registered to vote increased from 93 to 336, which is nearly half of the senior class according to the Chicago Tribune.

 

Most politicians do not pay as much attention to the opinions of the younger generations. Less than half of people ages 18-29 are registered to vote, and only about 36% of those registered voted in 2018. Voter turnout was nearly double for those 65 and older, so generally politicians will pay more attention to their wishes. If we can increase voter registration in 18-29 year olds, our voices will have much more of an impact on political choices because politicians will want our votes. If you have an opinion on politics, it is very important that you get your voice out there and vote so that you can be heard. 

 

There are a lot of different reasons that people may choose not to vote, but the biggest reason is that people do not think that their opinions will matter in the election. If you are a Democrat in a state that is mostly Republican, or vice versa, you may believe that your vote will not count because you are not a part of the majority. However, if an election is close, your vote will always matter and it could make a difference in who wins the election. On November 5th, the Senate Elections took place, and in Virginia, a state known for being mostly Republican, the majority of the seats went to Democrats. This is huge because it means that the voters completely changed the outlook of the election. A couple of votes could completely change an election, and it’s so important that our voices are heard. 

 

As citizens of the United States, it is so important that we do our civic duty and vote in the elections. Every single vote matters, and it is imperative that we make our voices heard. When we get our first job and have to start paying taxes, we will care who is in charge and what they are funding, so we must vote now because our future is in our hands.

Happy Feet

My favorite style of dance is tap dancing. I have been taking tap classes since I was three years old. Tap dancing is a dance performed wearing fitted leather shoes with metal taps on bottom of the toes and heels. It involves the rhythmical tapping of the toes and heels on the floor as a form of percussion. 

 

The origins of tap dancing date back to the 1700s, when southern African dancers would articulate patterns with their feet. The official “tap dancing” was created by William Henry Lane, and it became popular in 1845. It has continually evolved since this time period, and is a combination of many different cultures and dances, such as European Jig, Reel Steps, Clog, and African Rhythms.  

 

If this is a style that interests you, I would consider studying some of the most famous tap dancers and their work. Here are my top 3 tap dancers, or pairs of dancers, that you should watch.   

 

  1. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers 

These two are arguably the most famous tap dancing duo on the planet. They were partnered together for a total of 10 films between 1933 and 1949. Their dances look completely effortless when you watch them, but their feet are so fast and precise. Rogers had to learn everything opposite of Astaire, yet she still does every move perfect. They are very entertaining, and their style and grace is still an inspiration for tap dancers all over the world today. 

 

  1. Gene Kelly 

 

Gene Kelly is just an amazing tap dancer. He is known for his appearance in many films but especially for his tapping in the movie/musical Singin’ in the Rain. He not only is a great tap dancer, but a phenomenal actor as well. When you watch his pieces, he gets really invested in the character he’s playing and it makes his performance so entertaining to watch. When you listen to his tapping, it is so clear and precise, and he is able to accent different parts of the step and make complex, absolutely amazing rhythms. A great piece of his to watch would be “Moses Supposes” from Singin’ in the Rain.

 

  1. Savion Glover  

 

Savion Glover is my personal favorite of the tap dancers on this list. I don’t know how he is able to move his feet as quickly and precisely as he does. His rhythm and musicality are perfect. You may know him as the person who did the tap dancing in Happy Feet. I recently watched a video of him doing improv, and it was definitely one of the best videos I’ve ever seen. I would check out his work if you are interested in tap dancing. 

 

What I love most about tap dancing is that you get to add your own twist to the music. You aren’t just creating something for others to watch, you are creating music with your feet. Each dancer brings their own style into play and uses rhythm, accents, style, and their face to convey the music. Tap dancing is a challenge because of the complexity of the rhythms and feet movements but the accomplishment I feel when I conquer a difficult pattern is like nothing else. If you like rhythms and you want a challenge, I would definitely consider taking a tap class.