AGORA DAYS HAS always been one of my favorite weeks of the school year. I found the classes this year to be especially exciting, and I would love to share memories from some of my most distinctive classes.

One of the highlights of my week was Sewing for Beginners. Not only was this class taught by the oh-so-charming Vivian Robison and her mother, Amy Robison, but it taught me the essentials of holding fabric together without duct tape.

After taking adequate time to thread the needle, accidentally allowing the thread to slip from the needle and repeating this process several times, I managed to get Vivian to teach me some basic stitches so that I could practice on an exciting orange-and-blue cube. I was able to sew peacefully, as the classroom atmosphere was relaxed and quiet.

The next few days, I put my skills to the test by attempting to hem and sew a foxy denim purse. I completed this task without too much incident.

The final two days, the real trial began: I was allowed to choose a stuffed animal to sew. After careful consideration, I started struggling through sewing a rooster. Now, after many minutes of intense work and frequent consultations with Vivian and her mother, I feel confident that I can conquer mild to moderate sewing dilemmas! Not to mention I now own this adorable rooster.

Learn to Dance SWING!, taught by Janice Mouschovias and Ron Carbonari, was by far my favorite class this Agora Week. The first day, though, it was all a bit overwhelming.

Not only was I assigned to play the lead role normally taken by a male, but I was quickly expected to execute a step routine that involved the balance and elegance that I have never quite achieved.

Then, just when I was becoming confident of my step-ball-step, I was taken aback by a demonstration of a move called the Butterfly, a festive-looking mess of flying appendages. After several miserable attempts at a recognizable dance move, I miraculously began master the Butterfly.

This was basically the story of the rest of the week. The class would start with review, then we would be shown an impossible-looking work of kinesthetic art. At this point, we would gawk and complain, but somehow through our tears we were executing these moves within minutes.

If any lady or gentleman wishes to charm their companions with the lively, exciting art of swing dancing, I would highly recommend taking this course in Agora Days to come.

Elizabeth Russell is a Uni High sophomore. If you are interested in contributing to the Gargoyle, contact us through this form.