ISB Hosts Winter Formal For First Time Since Quarantine

By Anna Janowski

February 2023

On February 3rd, ISB hosted its first winter formal dance since before the pandemic, drawing a crowd of about 220 students to a Las Vegas-themed setting. Giant diamond-studded dice lining the hallway, tables scattered with poker chips, and golden palm trees greeted attendees making their way into ISB’s thoroughly transformed gym. After the success of the Northern Lights-themed fall dance, students had high expectations for the winter formal, which, as it turned out, was good but not worth the hype.

In the days leading up to the dance, StuCo’s preparations could be seen in the hallway outside the gym. The wall was covered in black paper and decorated with playing card designs, giving students a preview of what the dance itself would look like. “It seemed like the decorations were going to be cool,” said one student of their expectations for the dance.

The decorations, when completed, “were really good,” one student said. The ceiling lights had been covered with paper to create dim red-orange lighting, which complemented the black and red designs on the walls. Giant dice, dollar-sign symbols, and a large cutout reading “Lucky 7” adorned the hallway and the entrance to the gym. Inside, the flashing lights typical of a dance illuminated golden palm trees and a Las Vegas sign. The poker chips and playing cards on each table showed StuCo’s attention to detail in their decorations.

The dance was very well-attended, drawing a crowd of about 220 students. The Northern Lights dance had been a hit with many students, and this, along with the decorations, may have contributed to the hype and anticipation around the winter formal.

However, the winter formal was hard-pressed to live up to the high bar set by December’s Northern Lights dance. “I expected it to be like the Northern Lights Dance, and it did not meet my expectations,” one student said. Several commented that they thought the music could be improved, and the general sentiment among students interviewed was that the dance wasn’t as fun as they expected it to be.

While some students didn’t get what they were hoping for out of the dance, it wasn’t all bad. “At the end of the day, I still had a lot of fun, and I’m glad I was there,” one student commented. There were certainly highlights to the night, including the formation of a dance circle in the center of the gym. Almost everyone in the gym crowded around the middle of the room, watching several very enthusiastic students show off their dance moves.

For most attendees, this year’s winter formal may not have been as enjoyable as the fall dance, but it was still an opportunity for students to have fun together.

Bibliography

Photos by Srivatsav Sundaresan, Elliot Ma, and Anna Janowski

Interviews by Srivatsav Sundaresan