Humo. There is so much to say about humo. For those of you who have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, let me inform you.
Humo is short for Humorology, which is a huge Greek-wide philanthropy put on each year in the form of a musical that is written, directed, and performed by the members of each fraternity and sorority. While a 20-minute musical may not seem like much, each cast member and director understands the real meaning of hard work. This hard work hits its worst one week each semester called "hell week." It's a week of what seems like endless run-throughs, characterization workshops, and way too many dance rehearsals.
Whether you're in it for house points, your love for music and dance, the pull to help out a great cause or all of the above, we all face the same emotions during that one special week each semester. These are a few of the emotions that you feel during your eight-count-induced madness we all call "hell week."
1. Optimism
The first practice, everyone...well, mostly everyone enters with a pretty good head on their shoulders. Everyone's thinking along the lines of "They're not gonna make us do that dance that many times" and "They won't actually make us stay until 2 am." Everyone comes in thinking that the week really can't be that bad. Right?
2. The initial resistance
The is the initial bitching heard from almost everyone. You want us to do something besides nap? You want us to stand up? Dance!? YOU WANT US TO SING AND DANCE AND STAND UP!? Everyone knows we prefer to exert as little energy and effort as possible at all times. The adjustment is always a brutal one.
3. The inevitable schedule confusion
It's a rehearsal schedule, not a damn cryptex. Yet every time there are those people who can't figure it out. It takes a village sometimes...or in this case it takes a GroupMe.
4. Fading Optimism
It's gotta get worse before it gets better, right?
5. Entertainment via guys at dance rehearsal
The bright light in the darkness of hell week is the inevitable entertainment value of watching guys in dance practice. You'll get those eight counts and kick lines eventually we hope....Sorry boys.
6. Mid-week mental breakdown
There are tears. There is stress eating. There is the occasional yelling.
It's an emotional waste land.
7. Stressed out directors
At one point, the stress in the directors becomes evident, and the cast learns to just shut the hell up and do what they're told. If they say you're having fun, you bet your ass you're having fun.
8. No optimism
There is no longer a light in the darkness. Just more endless hours of run-throughs and the same four songs everyone has heard way too many times.
9. Slips, trips, and f*cked up back flips
At one point, everyone either becomes over-tired or way too comfortable with what they're doing. This leads to some serious f*ck ups. Dropped stunters, falling out of flips, and some seriously painful (sometimes hilarious) trips. This all happens inevitably and some you just can't laugh off.
10. The real "team effort"
The directors add practice time on...one person overhears and takes one for the team...
...and the group response is, of course, GTFO.
11. The beauty in the breakdown
Even though you haven't met High School Musical-level synchronization yet, you're starting to get a pretty decent show in the end.
12. The bond
In the end, the week from hell ends and you find yourself in a stage of deep, deep relief. When you look back, yes, there were some moments that really sucked. Those 1 a.m practices were some serious bullsh*t and some moments you wanted to kill over half your cast, but in the end you find some good things came of out it all. You now have a killer show to be proud of and an incredible cast of people to share it with.
As cheesy as it is, there is that bond at the end. Whether it's because you survived your worst nightmare (some sh*t that bad really does bond people) or because you actually like each other, you find that you now have people who you're closer to. People who in the end you were happy you got to share it all with.
