Each year, students look forward to DubLove Week. However, this year, in particular, was exciting not only because students got Friday, February 14th off but also because SingaGrams came one day earlier on February 13th. Singagrams are an annual tradition at DHS where one can request the choir class to perform a song for a friend, crush, or teacher. This year’s varied song selection included “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, by Elvis Presley, and “Thinking Out Loud”, by Ed Sheeran, along with other Mashups. This acapella can be purchased anonymously every year in the first week of February at Student Activities. 

Singagrams are very successful for Choir providing a majority of their fundraising for the year. This fundraising helps pay for the school’s free choir concerts and other choir bonding activities. This year, over 500 sing-a-grams were sold. Judy Kim has been in choir for two years but this is the first year she was allowed to sing and “spread the love”. “Singagrams are her favorite because … sing[ing] to friends and strangers all schoolday … really boosts the spirit for Valentine’s Day.” Kim said. Singagrams bring enjoyment to the whole school. 

Meanwhile, students have their own motivations to buy Singagrams. Sophomore Diya Vij buys her Singagrams to embarrass her friends. However, Singagrams are not as fun when you are receiving it. Ria Rahate, a junior, jokingly said, “I am really mad at the person who bought me a Singagram.” Junior Eshan Bathula. has received a Singagrams all of his three years at the school and after knowing the feeling the past two, he said he, “was less awkward this time.” Some teachers allow their students to film these viral acapella and post it on social media. Carys Kao. thinks it’s “a great way to show support for the choir department and the student doing the Sing-a-gram.”

Every year, some teachers don’t allow SingaGrams in their classrooms as it disrupts the learning environment. Some teachers maintain that these waste class time, while others who teach rigorous courses, filled with juniors and seniors, don’t allow Sing-a-grams because of scheduling conflicts with their Unit Tests. AP Classes have a deadline for the content they need to cover, and in most classes, there is not a day to spare and reschedule tests. Honors English Teacher Mr. Aminian discourages Singagrams to prevent friends from targeting each other and making others feel uncomfortable in front of their peers. Teachers are already battling block schedule, for some this is another obstacle that teachers need to overcome. 

However, in the end, Singagrams provide an opportunity to have fun and take a break in a very competitive academic community where students and teachers can both enjoy it.