So far we’ve explained the origins of Sadie Hawkins Day as a national phenomenon and the rules established for its observance at Albert Lea High School. Now, let’s continue with some information as to how the local high school students celebrated this special day for the girls and what actually caused its demise. And, as a bonus, there will be a few details about another student activity during February called Twirp Week.

Some of what follows is from special pages in the Tiger Yearbook copies in the library at the Freeborn County Historical Museum. The rest is based on some attempts at logic.

For some of the boys the opportunity to be tagged by the girl students on Sadie Hawkins Day was a detail of life to be appreciated. A few boys really played hard to get but managed to get caught. There were some boys who made sure they were caught by their regular girl friends. Then there were also boys and girls who literally gambled on pure luck for a catch or being caught. Anyway, the conclusion for all this supposedly regulated confusion came during the evening when the couples went to a dance or sock hop and the girls had to pay all expenses.

However, some students didn’t wear hillbilly or hobo clothing to school that day and were just spectators of the wild chases within and even outside school during lunch time.

The spectacle of girls chasing boys on this particular day, usually at the end of October or during November, even went out into the community. In that era some students avoided the cafeteria and went to other places to get something to eat and/or drink. Two of those places on West Clark Street were Bill Shea’s Ice Cream Store and Merrill’s Pop Corn Stand. As a result, several boys could be seen running past Central Park and on to the east being pursued by girls during this particular noon hour.

As this annual celebration of Sadie Hawkins Day endured, several problems began to evolve. First, was the impression this was an event for the “in crowd,’ and clique groups. Second, several boys were actually injured during those wild chases. In one of the earlier ’70s yearbooks there’s even a photo of a senior boy on crutches. He either broke or sprained an ankle or knee in one of those wild chases. Roger Lonning, retired school librarian, told me about another boy being injured during one of those wild days. Third, some parents and local taxpayers may have questioned the educational benefits derived from an event inspired by the Li’l Abner comic strip. And, fourth, the school’s faculty didn’t like this event because it conflicted with discipline control.

The end of this wild observance was clearly emphasized with this entry in the 1975 Tiger Yearbook. It said,” Disorganizations, lack of chase hurt Sadie fun. After 26 years of the Sadie Hawkins Day manhunt, the tradition was finally broken. No longer were girls seen screaming down the halls with boys not far ahead. Instead, the Student Council voted to end the chase and just have the girls ask the guys out. ….(At the dance) the games were to include the pie eating contest, best leg contest, beard growing contest, cracker eating contest and pop drinking contest. All of these were canceled because of the committee assigned to the task of organizing them failed to do its job.”

There was another student event at Albert Lea High School during this same era that was just the opposite of Sadie Hawkins Day. This was Twirp Week. (I’m aware of the word twerp; the Tiger Yearbooks spelled it as twirp.)

The 1960 yearbook said Twirp Week, usually held during February, was when ”the girls were at the service of the boys. They were requested to address the boys as ‘sir,’ carry their books, open doors for them, provide ‘protection’ and pay for dates and other activities the couple attended.”

This excellent example of sexism in action concluded with a student dance at the end of this odd week. And just when Twirp Week actually ended at Albert Lea High School is a detail I haven’t yet discovered.

Ed Shannon’s column has been appearing in the Tribune every Friday since December 1984.