School dances: you know the drill. First there is the pressure to find a date, for females the scramble to get a dress, the neverending balance of who is going with what group, getting the customary corsage or boutonniere, deciding where to eat, and finally the hope that it all goes off without a hitch. This entire process provides a headache to even the most resilient of students, but luckily, once a year, Tucheze provides a much needed alternative.

This November 7, the latest annual Tucheze will take place in the Ames High cafeteria from 8:00 to 11:30. Tucheze is an informal dance hosted by SHEPH (Students Helping to Eliminate Poverty and Hunger). Unlike the other three traditional dances during the school year, Tucheze has a strict no-date and casual attire policy.

The highlight of this year’s Tucheze is the debut of three new Ames High DJs. This year, seniors Conor Burke-Smith, Tyler Wessels, and Charlie Fei will be behind the mixing table spitting out hot beats and bringing the crowd to a heated frenzy. “Usually theres just a bunch of boring pop songs,” said rising DJ Tyler Wessels. “This year we’re putting on music you can actually dance to.” Most dances elicit lukewarm responses about their musical selection, but the DJs this year plan to include songs much more suitable to dancing, including careful selections from top 40 hits, hip-hop, and house.

The proceeds from the 5 dollar admission to Tucheze will go towards this year’s SHEPH charities of choice. Typically, money is donated to help improve quality of life in a variety of African countries; last year SHEPH supported giving lamps to African schoolchildren. “We’re saving SHEPH about $600 by DJing that will go towards a good cause,” added DJ Tyler Wessels. “Its gonna be rad.”