By Mea Donnelly
The greatest part of fall is pumpkin spice everything, right? Wrong. It happens to be barn dances. If you aren’t familiar, barn dances are when an organization rents out a barn, all of its members get dates, and everyone dances to country music and has a really good time. You can break out those cowboy boots you own for whatever reason and spend the night with the cute guy or girl you’ve been eyeing. It truly is a magical night, but sometimes the night ends up far from magical. So here are my barn dance dos and don’ts to keep you from having a disastrous night.
Dos
Ask someone you are comfortable with to be your date. Yes, it may seem like a great idea to ask a cutie you’ve never talked to before, but that is a hit-or-miss situation. Asking a friend is a sure way to have a great night and not one filled with awkward silences.
Dress all out. If this is your first rodeo, then you may not be into going all out for events. THIS IS A MISTAKE. The people that end up looking the best are the ones that dress up. You’ll have a much better time if you just go all out with the theme and embrace it.
Request music. This is a guaranteed way to really enjoy yourself. If the music you like ends up playing, you’ll be more likely to dance – which will greatly increase your overall experience.
Try new things! Whether it’s a new dance more or a fun college-based game — you know what kind I am talking about —these are fun ways to meet more people and put yourself out there. Yes, you may make a fool of yourself, but everyone loves a fool and (more importantly) seeing someone else truly enjoying themselves.
Don’ts
Don’t complain about the music. Yes, country music is not everyone’s taste, but it is what is played at barn dances. You may absolutely hate country, and you are entitled to that opinion, but keep it to yourself for the night. You’ll end up being a huge downer if all you do is complain.
Don’t get too crazy. Barn dances happen to be some of the craziest events on campus, and the night can quickly get away if you don’t watch yourself. You still want to remember the thing and get home safely. So for the sake of yourself and everyone around you, don’t do anything rash.
Don’t sit on a bale of hay all night. IT IS A BARN DANCE! You need to dance, everyone will be doing it and you’ll enjoy yourself ten times more if you get out on the dance floor. Plus, if you stick to a barrel of hay, you’ll end up bringing it back with you, which is much more annoying than sand.
So there you have it, some dos and don’ts for a successful barn dance. Be safe. Dance. But most importantly: have fun, Illini.
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*Image Sources:
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