A Tampa, Florida superintendent warned students to not skip class for a Taylor Swift concert as she performed in the city over the weekend with a clever use of the singer's song titles.
Hillsborough County Superintendent Addison Davis sent out the message — which incorporated a whopping 27 song titles from Swift's discography — to parents and students on Wednesday ahead of her Thursday night concert, warning off any students considering staying out late for the concert and skipping school on Friday.
"I understand I am the 'Anti-Hero' here, and 'Call It What You Want', but 'You're On Your Own Kid' if you think being a Swiftie is a good excuse for missing important instruction," Davis said in the letter, which he also read out in a video posted on Twitter.
"You may think you're 'Out of the Woods' since it's the fourth quarter, but make no mistake, if you miss an important lesson, you will not be able to 'Shake it Off,'" he continued. Your report card could be 'Treacherous' because you refused to 'Stay, Stay, Stay' in class.
Dear students,
— Hillsborough Schools (@HillsboroughSch) April 12, 2023
It’s me, hi… Hillsborough Superintendent Addison Davis.@taylorswift13 @taylornation13 @RJStadium @AddisonGDavis #TSTheErasTour #TaylorSwift #Midnights #TaylorSwiftErasTour #TampaTSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/I0OPNmKzm4
Discussing what prompted the song-filled message, Davis' media director Tanya Arja told the Tampa Bay Times that "this was our idea, in Communications" and said that it helped that the superintendent was a fan of Swift.
She said, "Of course he loves Taylor Swift."
Arja told the newspaper the superintendent had hoped to both encourage students not to miss class while also celebrating Swift's concerts along with the community.
"Of course he wants kids in class," Arja said. "But this is a fun thing. He knows it's a big thing going on in Tampa this week. It's just a fun little thing we did."
Swift hit the stage Thursday night in Tampa, Florida for the first time since news broke that she and boyfriend Joe Alwyn called it quits after six years of dating.
The "Anti-Hero" singer, 33, welcomed the crowd at the Raymond James Stadium saying, "We have a lot to catch up on."
The stop is the latest in her sold-out Eras Tour, and she was in high spirits as she kicked off an expected three-hour-long show. She will also perform Friday and Saturday night at the venue.
