dances – The Prospector

SYFA Gets McClatchy Students Involved In Local Activism

McClatchy students may have heard of the organization SYFA (Sacramento Young Feminists Alliance), a city-wide network of student activists that works to strengthen our community by bringing awareness to the causes of intersectional feminism at a local level.

SYFA was founded by Zelia Gonzales, Inga Mantecas, and Maiti King, all former CKM students, in 2014.

Founder Zelia Gonzales says, “Maiti, Inga and I…were inspired by all of the young women starting their own small feminist coalitions in high schools across Sacramento. We realized that all of those clubs were small and weren’t connected with each other…We decided we wanted to start something…to bring together all of the resources and brainpower of our clubs and support the starting of new coalitions.”

SYFA’s meetings are held at Sol Collective on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday’s of the month. During those meetings, events and fundraisers are planned, and lively discussions are held.

Anna Murray, a Senior at CKM, and current co-president of SYFA, emphasizes the importance of the organization, saying, “I think that some people think that we don’t really need feminism anymore…but there’s a lot of problems facing women today…and in order to move forward and be productive we need to acknowledge that, and I think [in the past] feminism hasn’t been doing that. So I think it’s important to change the connotation [of feminism] to something that acknowledges that.”

SYFA holds yearly events and fundraisers, such as dances, Open Mic nights, and an annual convention. All events are youth oriented and center on providing platforms for teens in Sacramento to raise their voices and get involved in the community .

The annual convention is one that builds community by bringing youth together, “I really like the bonding that the convention goers always have, there is a really strong desire for community and togetherness” says Murray.

SYFA is compiled of students all over the Sacramento region, from McClatchy, to Natomas Charter. Julia Benson is a Senior at Natomas Charter Performing and Fine Arts Academy, and an active member of SYFA. She heard of SYFA via a family friend, and says she “was looking for a bigger club outside of Charter. Plus I am passionate about civil rights and wanted to be more active in my community.”

“When everyone comes together, especially because Sacramento has a lot of problems, I think having a united front is really cool,” Murray says.

Reinforcing the practical purposes of SYFA, Zelia Gonzales explained, “SYFA is really about teaching young women leadership and project management skills through project management skills through feminist projects–and that is a feminist idea in itself.”

The Pros of Homecoming

Dances are fun. It is a way to destress from all the schoolwork your teachers pile on you for no reason, and it is a way to hangout with friends, or meet new ones outside of school. It’s much better than sitting at home, bored, not being able to do anything or play video games with anyone, because most of your friends are out dancing at Homecoming. We need social interaction! Yes, dances have a lot of people and it can get pretty hot in there since everyone is sweating. However, that is why there are places around the edge of the room where the it isn’t too congested with people, making it the best place overall. There are tables with comfortable seats where there aren’t a lot of people. Plus the Homecoming venue has pretty good air conditioning. It’s much better than sitting home and learning how to weave baskets underwater while juggling. First off, that’s impossible, and second, when am I ever going to need to know how to do that?
Even if you aren’t the best dancer, there are a lot of people who don’t know how to dance, and you can always just sway to the music. Or you can sing along, nobody is going to care if you are a terrible singer, because nobody is paying attention. Just make sure not to get caught in the big scary mosh pit…who am I kidding? It’s pretty awesome in there: being with your friends, listening to music, and just hanging out. Just as long as you don’t stay in there for too long, especially if you are a small person like me. Every once in awhile you will see some nice dancing skills, aside from the constant twerking–you will also see the occasional break dancer with some pretty nice dancing skills.
Every High Schooler should go to Homecoming at least once in their high school life. Because there are only a few opportunities to go to danes, especially if you are a underclassmen. If you don’t want to dance, or if you’re just waiting for that one slow song so you can ask the person you’ve been wanting to ask to dance, you can just sit and talk to friends, as a lot of people do. You can just sit and talk for these four hours, without having to worry about any distractions. This is great because it’s hard to live without distractions nowadays. Finally, you can just chill and relax with some friends. Plus it’s fun to just sit and watch people dance, or create your own list of: Best and Worst Dressed of Homecoming 2017.
Homecoming is a fun way to hangout with your friends and dance the night away. Plus, it’s relatively cheap to get in, compared to Prom. As long as you don’t pay attention to the ridiculous prices of the food and drinks at the actual event, it’s fine. It’s basically an American tradition, at least in the movies. So go live like you’re in a teen high school drama, let loose, and have fun. That’s what high school is all about. Homecoming can be one of those things that you’ll end up remembering for the rest of your life. It might not be as bad as you think.