For everyone else, Wednesday is just the hump day of the week. If you are on a Dancer Relations committee, you know that Wednesday nights are dedicated to THON. You know that every Wednesday after you are selected to be a part of the committee, you will spend countless hours in a room of 35+ people that become not only your friends, but your second family. You find out that the girl who’s friends with your friend will become your best friend on the committee, and the boy who at first seemed shy will become the one person you can turn to when you need a laugh. You find out that this cause, these people, the lives you are changing, you’re doing it all together, as a Dancer Relations committee.
Wednesday is when Yellow Shirt Orientation was. The first time you met these people, your family members that you awkwardly danced with in a circle. That one kid that tried a little too hard to do the worm across the floor, or you and your friend from last year twirling in the middle because, to be honest, that’s your best (and only) dance move. This Wednesday was my favorite Wednesday of the year. It’s when you saw who was on your committee, how crazy, spunky, and insane (in the best way) your Captain is, and especially, you see the personalities that are going to grow and expand as your Wednesday night traditions continue.
Wednesday night is when Yellow Shirt University was. The committees all get together without their captains and make up a dance to represent their creative name. This name is what bonds you all together. Weather it is “The Jolling Stones” or “Happily Heather After” (shot out guys, love you all) or something else, this name creates the look for the rest of the year. The music, dance moves, and chants that fill the HUB’s Alumni Hall may only last for a couple hours, but the magic of THON stays there with you, even after YSU is over. Think about it. You’re all there. All 741 of you. Directors, Captains, Committee Members… all together, laughing and smiling at the crazy dances that are going on on stage.
On Wednesdays, you find out that there are people that sit around you every week, listening to the same PowerPoint you are about the importance of knowing the layout of the BJC, what Mail Call is, or even failing and falling over trying to do the stretches of the week, are people that you know that you can turn to if you’re in a panic THON weekend. These people are the ones that, at any moment in time, you can send them probably the ugliest snapchat ever and know that it will show up in the Group Me moments after. These are the ones who even when the meetings go until 2 a.m. some nights, you couldn’t fathom spending your night any other way. These meetings are where you laugh until you cry, or cry until someone makes a joke about crying to make you laugh. These meetings are the reason that even if you’ve had a bad couple days, you know that your Wednesday night will turn your week right around.
Wednesday nights may not be special for everyone, but for me, I couldn’t imagine the last two years without these Wednesday nights in my life. I couldn’t imagine where I would be if I didn’t bond with the people who have become my second families. I couldn’t imagine, “being there for the dancers, so that they can be there for the kids,” with anyone but these Wednesday night weirdos.
And to me, I think that’s pretty special. I couldn’t imagine fighting for the kids, for the fight and for the cure with anyone else.