On March 17 Hamburg Area High School enjoyed the annual Hawks’ Nest Speakeasy. This event, run by Mr. Kline, is held in the library each year. Juniors in his AP U.S. History class dress up as historical figures from the 1920s and role-play as their characters during the event. Mr. Kline always invites previous APUSH students to help run the speakeasy working as bouncers, card dealers, and managing refreshments. Any student with permission and a secret password can attend the event during seventh period and flex.
Hailey Quinn, a senior who took APUSH last year, helped with the speakeasy this year. She managed the currency of the event, “Kline Bucks,” which students used to play games and purchase refreshments. Last year, Hailey had to worry about choosing a character and researching them extensively so she could correctly portray them. She chose Georgia O’Keefe and had to read as many biographies as she could find to memorize every detail about her. Accurately remembering details of their characters is a part of every APUSH student’s grade for the event. Hailey also had to prepare an outfit and a prop, and she decided to paint one of Georgia’s paintings. This year was less stressful because she only had to help and prepare an outfit. Hailey most looked forward to seeing all the students portray their characters. The speakeasy was so fun that Hailey was sure she wanted to help as a senior. Since Mr. Kline depended on help from the seniors, she was ready to do her part. It was important to her to keep the tradition going for current APUSH students and have previous APUSH students help run the event. Hailey ends her thoughts with, “I think it is such a fun and creative way to get students immersed in what they are learning about. It brings lots of students from the school together and is a great activity that brings fun beyond the classroom.”
Another returning APUSH student, Alyssa Brensinger, was a card dealer for the speakeasy this year. To prepare for portraying Clara Bow last year, she spent over three hours researching her and her life. In addition to studying, Alyssa also spent one hour preparing an outfit. Last year was more exciting for her because she knew what to expect. It was also more fun to roleplay a character for the event. To prepare for card dealing, Alyssa had to learn how some of the games worked. The speakeasy was such an enjoyable experience that she wanted to go back and help.
