Students and staff at Bridgewater Junior Senior High School are doing the happy dance — literally.
In an attempt to counteract negative social media trends, and to give school spirit a boost, they created a dance video to Pharrell Williams’ Happy.
At the end of the video, the whole school throws the gauntlet down to New Germany Rural High School to try and top its effort.
Grade 11 student Brittany MacNeil recorded most of the video, edited it and posted it on YouTube Friday night. The New Germany school wasted no time taking up the challenge.
The school’s behaviour support specialist Jeff Rhodenizer said social media has been aflutter in a positive way all weekend as students and teachers bandy about ideas.
“They’re really excited,” and he said they plan to get to work filming this week.
“You don’t throw the challenge down like that and then just sit down,” he said.
Once their video is done, New Germany will then pass the challenge on to another high school.
Erin Dunn-Keefe, who teaches English, sociology and English as a Second Language at Bridgewater High, came up with the idea because she was concerned about the latest online trend known as Neknominate. It’s a dangerous online game in which people drink alcohol in often vile and dangerous ways, and challenge other to out-drink them.
CNN reported last week at least five men under the age of 30 have died because of it.
While Neknominate isn’t an issue in Lunenburg County, it is extremely dangerous and gives a bad impression of young people, said Dunn-Keefe, as have other recent social media issues such as online bullying.
“The truth is, young people are fun, exciting, innovative and happy,” she said, and that’s what she wants this video to show.
“I hope it spreads positive messages that there are great teens in this province. It’s images of kids being joyful and happy, and when they (have) fun and feel they’re loving their school, they will love where they’re at,” Dunn-Keefe said.
The video includes at least 150 of the school’s 450 students from grades 7-12 from all walks of life, including a student in a wheelchair, another with crutches, and overseas exchange students. It also includes teachers and staff, from the vice-principal jiving in the office to the administrative assistant swaying with a hot pink feathered boa around her neck and the art teacher tap dancing in the hallway.
This is the second year the school has done a video. Its first was last year and called Canadian Please, featuring students and staff doing such activities as “scrape the windshield,” “skate the pond,” “paddle the canoe” and “tap the syrup.”
But this is the first time the school has issued a challenge to another as it spreads school pride and spirit.
“There’s such a trend lately with bullying and drinking games online. It’s good to show the benefits of social media and YouTube and that they can be socially positive,” Rhodenizer said.
Brittany, the student who did all the editing and much of the filming, plans to take screen arts at the Nova Scotia Community College’s waterfront campus in Dartmouth after she graduates next year.
Brittany said negative and dangerous trends on social media are worrying. “We’re trying to get that out of their heads,” and dancing seemed a great way to do it.
As for New Germany’s video, Rhodenizer said he doesn’t want to give too much away to Bridgewater, “but we do have some beautiful outdoor locations” that may come into play.