This time of year, Hastings High is bussing with excitement as prom nears. Teens are looking ahead to this special day. The music students are also concerned, but with something else. District music contest, being hosted in Kearney, is right around the corner as well. While the students are kept busy with solo music and dress picking, they also have something else on their minds. They are faced with the problem of the contest and the dance being scheduled for the same day, April 21.

About 100 choir students will be affected by this bit of news.

Choir director Tim Canady is juggling his performance schedule with his students' social needs that day but doesn't seem too worried. 

"It is not as much an issue for me as it is for the students," he says. "They will need to be back but it should be alright."

Canady is not the only one who expresses concerns for others. Senior choir member Vickie Hartman has feelings for them as well.

"There shouldn't be as much problem for the kids who can drive or have a parent that can pick them up," she says of the music students going to Kearney. "It is not fair to the people that have to ride the bus back home."

Canady is aware of this and is planning ahead. "My hope is that we can get all our events done in the morning so we can get home."

This, in theory, should give the kids several hours to get ready for the dance that will take place at 9:00 that evening. 

"My mom will follow us [Women's Choir] to Kearney. As soon as we are done, she will take me home so I can get ready," she said.

Students wishing to piggyback on this idea will generally need to get a note of permission from a parent to be given to the instructor.

This crammed date, however, comes as a sigh of relief for some students.

Exclaims junior Woman's Choir member Liz Hartman, "I'm happy that this happened because it gives me an excuse not to go to prom!"

No matter how people feel, April 21 is a day not soon to be forgotten.