In 1991, students at First Hurrah were treated to a miniature ice castle.
What do you get when you combine chocolate-covered strawberries, upperclassman, and dancing? First Hurrah, of course! This year, the dance took place on Saturday, February 10, with the theme “Under the Sea.”
While many understand what the tradition entails, its long and storied history that draws from traditions at both the Choate School and Rosemary Hall is less familiar. According to School Archivist Ms. Judy Donald, “Both First and Last Hurrah were created to combine the traditions of the Choate School and Rosemary Hall following the merger in 1971. Festivities was the major dance for the boys. It was held in February or March and began in 1915. Meanwhile, at Rosemary Hall the major dance was called ‘The Mid’ because it was a huge event held in the middle of the year.”
To combine The Mid and Festivities, students established First and Last Hurrah in the early 1980s. Last Hurrah was created by the class of 1980 as a formal seniors-only event. According to Mr. James Yanelli, Director of Student Activities, “When I first came to Choate in 1983, Last Hurrah was arranged by the Parents’ Committee. It was their gift to the senior class. But for the last 20 or so years the school has been managing the event. The Last Hurrah includes a live orchestra and an afterparty and has a very different vibe from First Hurrah.”
First Hurrah soon followed the creation of Last Hurrah, in 1982. According to archives from that year, the dance began as a special event to benefit the Choate Rosemary Hall Student Council Scholarship Fund. The event included a special dinner, a capella performances by The Whimawehs and group The Six Pack, as well as an auction that sold events such as the “preparation of special dinners or parties, dessert by the fireplace, or a tennis lesson from the varsity coach to the highest bidders.” Proceeds from the event totaled $1,200. It was judged a success and soon became an annual tradition.
Thirty-six years later, First Hurrah is still going strong. According to Mr. Yanelli, “First Hurrah is one of the major markers in the course of someone’s Choate career. It’s a celebration for juniors and seniors that marks about 100 days before graduation, when the seniors are starting the move toward graduation and juniors are starting to ascend to new leadership positions on campus. It’s traditionally been a formal dance that’s slightly different each year with great food, great lighting, and interesting decorations. In the past, we’ve had a retro Las Vegas, Mardi Gras, and Valentine’s Day themes. It’s one of those benchmarks, those landmarks that really characterize the experience of every Choate student. It’s like matriculation — one of those things that helps define the culture of the school.”
Mr. Yanelli added, “It’s always fun to see kids having fun. There’s always a lot of anticipation. We’ve moved away from a dating component. It’s welcoming to as many people as possible regardless of whether they come with a date or a group of friends.”
Both fifth and sixth formers echoed Mr. Yanelli’s sentiments. Se Ri Lee ’19 said, “It’s my first First Hurrah and makes me feel like I’m not an underclassman anymore.” Michael Zhou ’18, who attended the dance last year, decided to attend because of the positive experience he had as a fifth former. He described First Hurrah as “really fun,” and stated that he especially enjoyed the food and dancing.
In the dusk of his term as school president, Mpilo Norris ’18 reflected on the milestone First Hurrah represents: “I hope it will be in many ways the commencement of senior spring in the sense that I’ll have more time to really hang out and connect with friends, and especially those in the senior class. I hope a lot of people come out and that there’s really a lot of excitement. I’m hoping it’s fun, I’m hoping that a lot of people are going to come out. I hope that there’s a lot of excitement and good connections.”
And to top it all off, Imran Hyder ‘18, known colloquially on campus as the rapping sensation “Sauceboy,” summarized his experience like this: “First Hurrah’s pretty saucy.”
