For the first time in years, the Student Government Association (SGA) held a winter formal, a Homecoming-like dance to keep the winter cheer going after winter break.
“We have been asking for a winter formal for the past few years now, but this is the first year we have been able to get the activity approved,” said SGA president Kennedy Leary. “We thought it would be a good idea to get more school spirit in the weeks after winter break, because it’s a long stretch of school with not a lot to look forward to.”
In the 1980s, the winter formal went under the name “Christmas Dance.” The current SGA wants to steer away from the Christmas theme and make it more of a “winter wonderland.”
“It is very similar in that it’s a Homecoming-like dance during the winter. However, this year’s title is less exclusive by shifting it to more of a winter-centered dance rather than any specific holidays,” said Leary.
Due to the fact that all the current SGA members knew how to plan before this was Homecoming and Prom, it has been a whirlwind trying to organize a winter themed dance that is appealing to the whole student body.
One of these new ideas was a bright, luminous light tunnel. In an attempt to create an immersive winter scene, the SGA used a copious amount of shining white lights for students to run through. However, behind the tunnel is a plethora of obstacles and trial and error.
“We have encountered issues with the logistics and figuring out how to get the tunnel shape,” said Leary. “So we turned to just doing lights wall-to-wall across the ceiling to make the appearance of a tunnel.”
One of these new ideas was a bright, luminous light tunnel. In an attempt to create an immersive winter scene, the SGA used a copious amount of shining white lights for students to run through. However, behind the tunnel is a plethora of obstacles and trial and error.
“We have encountered issues with the logistics and figuring out how to get the tunnel shape,” said Leary. “So we turned to just doing lights wall-to-wall across the ceiling to make the appearance of a tunnel.”
Many students are confused in regards to what to actually expect from the dance.
“I feel like since the winter formal is a new event, and no student currently at WS has attended a winter formal at our school, it’s difficult to promote and generate excitement for the dance, since no one really knows what to expect from it. I think a lot of confusion is due to whether the winter formal will be as big of an event as Homecoming,” said Muten.
Additionally, like all dances, students were puzzled in regards to what outfit would be the best to twirl and dance in. Since the current agenda is short dresses for Homecoming and long dresses for Prom, many Spartans tried to find the perfect attire for a winter dance. The SGA encouraged the student body to show up in whatever they desire, but did not expect students to go all out.
¨I think the attire would be the largest similarity between our winter formal and the one from the 1980s. The winter formal is slightly more casual than Homecoming, making it a semi-formal event. I anticipate more shorter dresses than longer, as they’re more casual compared to longer dresses,¨ said Muten.
The SGA encouraged the student body to show up in whatever they desire, but did not expect students to go all out.
¨I think the attire would be the largest similarity between our winter formal and the one from the 1980s. The winter formal is slightly more casual than Homecoming, making it a semi-formal event. I anticipate more shorter dresses than longer, as they’re more casual compared to longer dresses,¨ said Muten.
Since winter formals are a more common occurrence at other schools in the county, the SGA used some other schools dances as a blueprint, taking inspiration from Robinson Secondary for the light tunnel. Many students also did this in regards to their choice in formal attire.
¨Most people in our area reserve long dresses for Prom, and I know most people will likely take inspo from nearby schools. For example, some friends I have from Bishop Ireton have a winter formal, and most of their attire is similar to Homecoming,¨ said Leary.
Though the dance was similar to Homecoming, the SGA hopes students of all grades had fun at the dance, whether they show up in a long dress or short dress.
¨We thought of planning a winter formal due to Homecoming and Prom being the only major events we held, and Prom is only for seniors, so we thought having a winter formal would be a fun event for all grade levels. Although it’s not exactly like Homecoming, it’s another opportunity for people to dress up, hangout with their friends, and have fun at the dance,” said Muten.
