For many, this time of year is one of chaos. Whether you are packing up for college, frantically turning through dense study guides, or trying to coax endless definitions into a muddled brain, life can seem convoluted, foggy, and listless. However, amidst the burnout and boredom shines a beacon of light: kids playing hacky sack in the lobby. They balance the bead-filled ball nestled between shoulder blades and hoist it into the air, where it is met with a kick, prompting a chorus of “oohs” and “brooos.” Others pass by sharing pairs of AirPods, singing along as they blast “Billy Jean.”
The hacky sack craze has seemed to take the school by storm ever since its blow-up on social media. The Hastings Yellow Sackets, a viral, student-run hacky sack team, have been gaining more attention; their trick shot compilations and highlights both admired and imitated by the students in our school. However, hacky sack goes deeper than just kicking around a ball: it brings people together. Junior Francesca DiMartino-Blanco has even noticed “a lot more groups of people in the hallways, outside of school, and in gym class doing it. [She thinks] it definitely bonds the people who are playing it together because they get really committed while they’re playing.”
What’s unique about hacky sack is that, unlike many other sports, nobody’s trying to beat anybody else. Instead, they’re all working together. In fact, freshman Jeevan Lasser has observed “more students of different grade levels hacky sacking together. [He assumes] this would mean that the students mix and talk with each other more.”
The game of hacky sack typically evokes the image of a group of college kids in the courtyard, the smell of weed drifting through the air in the ‘80s or ‘90s. While much has changed since then, the allure of hacky sack remains the same: it is collaborative, simple, and careless, because in the moment, nothing else matters besides kicking the ball. It’s the same kind of comforting mindlessness that comes with singing the lyrics to your favorite song.
Ever since its premiere in theatres on April 24, the student body has been infected with the Micheal Jackson fever, listening to “Thriller” as they work through their homework and perfect their moonwalks. As freshman Kato Tsiklauri puts it, “Since the movie came out, everyone at school is talking about it and just discussing it with friends and teachers is honestly so much fun!” This connection between students and teachers could be helping them foster closer relationships with each other. The teachers look at their students and see their younger selves, cramming for finals as they listened to “Smooth Criminal.” The students look at their teachers and see more than just bestowers of study guides and deadlines: they see grown versions of themselves, people who know the stress the year’s end can bring, and want to help guide them through it. They see people they can trust. This little spark of connection could not only help the students and teachers to get a glimpse into the past, but could also help them see eye to eye.
This blast from the past could not have come at a better time, what with the prospect of summer drawing painfully near and the pressure mounting. Whether it’s correlation or causation is uncertain, but the effect is clear: a return to simplicity in hectic times has certainly helped the student body through end-of-year chaos. As freshman Kato Tsiklauri puts it, “The finals are definitely stressful, and the fact that the teachers are still giving us tests and quizzes adds a lot of pressure.” Despite increased pressure, the prospect of summer, simplicity, and carelessness lend themselves to this jump back to the eighties. In the words of freshman Jack Burnstein, “I think the hacky sack revival, Michael Jackson movie, and other things are all ways that people can take their mind off school work. The hacky sack revival came at a perfect time; the weather just became nice enough to go outside, forget about school, and be happy.”
All in all, this return to simplicity has helped Hastings High School through some hectic times. The class of ‘26 may be gone, but the ‘80s are on the rebound.
