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Shall We Dance…In Six Months?

Aren’t dances supposed to be fun, carefree events that we can all look forward to? Apparently not in 06880. Westport’s reputation of ultra-competitiveness seems to have reared its ugly head in this arena.

As a junior girl, I first-hand witnessed the craziness that erupted in August when my fellow classmates started posting their Counties’ dates on our Facebook group. Within days, it seemed like dozens of people had locked in partners for the event, which is six months away. And the figure has only continued to rise exponentially. As of now, I’ve calculated that the number of girls with dates (at least the ones who’ve publicly released it) is well over 75. Since there are approximately 235 girls in the class of 2015, about a third of them already have dates–for the event in January.

All this sudden, Hunger Games-like action made me think: are my classmates making the right decision? Could preparing in advance be the way to go? By securing my date now, doesn’t this mean I can spend time on other details like my dress and hairstyle?

Well, I came to quickly realize that there are drawbacks to committing in advance, which I feel outweigh the positives. The drawbacks being: changes in circumstances. What if my date decides he’s had it with Westport and heads for Mongolia? What if he winds up on the FBI’s Most Wanted list? Or what if I decide that I simply don’t want to go with him anymore?

Where does that leave me? It may leave me without a date, and in the last scenario, with an angry guy. However, that’s the chance I’m taking by not committing right now. I’d rather not go at all than spend the next six months regretting asking someone.

Planning everything far in advance is not my idea of how I want to live. It’s like deciding now what I’ll have for lunch everyday in October. Chicken, peanut butter, salad…I don’t know what I’ll be in the mood for.

But that’s just me. Judging from the pressure surrounding Counties, my approach is quite unusual. If anyone wants to join me, though, maybe we can have a “Fun-Without Counties” party.

With no six-month-in-advance RSVP required.

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About the Contributor
Justine Seligson, Photo Coordinator
Being a self-described political junkie and a teen travel writer, Justine Seligson '15 is not only, without a doubt,  a well rounded student and basically a mother's dream, but also a very unique addition to the staff. Seligson is extremely modest about her accomplishments, but it is very clear that her extensive journalistic experience outside of Inklings has largely influenced her presence on the paper. "I have a column on teen travel on my parent's website, which is called Farewell Travels," Seligson said. "It's a very different type of writing [than Inklings] but it's definitely helped me to grow as a journalist overall." Seligson goes on to describe the plethora of exquisite articles she has written for her column over the years. Seligson further explained how her experiences in traveling have shaped her journalistic presence in a large way. She explains why she is nonchalant about the amazing experiences she has had traveling the globe, explaining that it has always been a way of life for her and her family. "My family travels all the time," she said. "It's just part of our business." However, Seligson says that "...[she] would a much different writer if [she] hadn't traveled so much." She casually mentions how much of an impact a pre-college Kenyan writing program had on her, as what an honor it was to be featured in the National Geographic Student Edition. "It made me realize that even though journalism may supposedly be a dying business, there may be some hope for me to pursue my dream career," she said. With her in-depth knowledge of travel and politics, Seligson is sure to be an interesting voice on the paper this year. She hopes to improve her writing and photography even more this year, as well as to help other staff members to increase the quality of their own photographs.

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