Senior Isabella Araque elaborates on the expenses used in Colombian club. As president of this club, she mandates and enforces these expenses onto the other club members.

I-days is a big part in showcasing the diversity in culture that Lanes’ students have. It’s 2 consecutive days of students performing dances of different cultures for their families and many other people, requiring months of practice and preparation. There are a lot of things that are involved in performances, one of which is money.

For many clubs, the necessary costs to make performances possible quickly add up.  Araque estimates that members in Colombian club spend around $25 a month in dues to cover studio rentals and other expenses. Beyond those, entrance fees for events such as the Chicago Salsa international Congress range from $100 – $150 per person, with additional costs for costumes. 

Filipino club members face a total yearly cost of approximately $125, according to member Elise Cruz. However, other clubs such as Polyneisan estimate that their members pay between $200-250 per year, according to Andrew Hwu and Oren Guttman. These fees include costumes, choreographers, and studio rentals.  

Given that the school doesn’t provide financial support for their I-day’s clubs, the club members have to find different ways to fundraise to support their club needs. Colombian club previously relied on socials to fundraise. Socials are where clubs hold gatherings at their studios to dance and fraternize. Students outside the club are welcomed and charged for entry. However they’ve recently switched over to selling popcorn through “Double Good Time”, raising $3000. “That’s how we were able to, we used it for the hotels. We used it for, like, some of their costumes and stuff like that. So we made a lot doing that.”  Araque said.

While some clubs manage to keep expenses lower by using school facilities, others use outside resources, increasing the costs. Filipino club’s officers create their own choreography and they practice in Lane Tech’s lunchroom for free. Colombian club rents studios twice a week, spending around $70 a week. Polynesian club also hires professional choreographers and practices at a studio that charged them an $100 at the start of the year. 

I – days is a major event at Lane Tech, and although it only occurs for two days throughout the school year, clubs spend significant amounts of money and hours preparing, without financial support from the school. This lack of funding has led to mixed opinions. “I think Lane should help in some way, possibly, if they could,” Araque said. 

Others, like Guttman, acknowledge the school’s imitations in supporting the clubs fees, but believes an exception for students in financial need could be beneficial. “I think there’s more important things on the budget than it is close, but I think it would also be a great opportunity to help pay for students that can’t afford it,” he said.