Flashing spotlights. Fog. Dance floor. This was the center of hubbub at the Winter Formal on Saturday, the 21st of January! Located at Almansor Court, this much awaited event welcomed students into the venue. Corsages, formal dresses, and ironed suits were prevalent sights, lined up in front of the large double doors.

Upon entrance, six round tables with various games greeted guests in an open air hallway. From Connect-Four to Jenga, these seats were consistently occupied by avid contesters. The velvety red table covers drew out the orange of the walls, drawing the eyes up to the ceiling of paneled mirrors. The volume of music was much softer in this setting as well, deeming it a restful location for those just off the dance floor. Many students also utilized this space for having quieter conversations and meeting with those who had just arrived. Over the course of the night, new faces could be seen sitting at different tables.

Passing this gaming area and up two or three steps was the entrance into the large dimly-lit ballroom. Off towards the walls were two inflated photo booths, a spot with many colorful props to hold whilst taking photos! This assortment included large glasses, mustaches, hats, and signs. With a few people constantly in line for their turn, these two igloo-like enclosures were occupied by almost everyone who attended the formal.

Next was the heart of the party: the dance floor. Capable of holding the majority of party go-ers, this vast platform experienced much singing and chaos. Each time a popular song was played on the loudspeakers, students would begin singing the lyrics and frantically jumping to the beat. Especially when “Baby” by Justin Beiber played at around 8:40 PM. With arms high in the air, a wave of outstretched hands and fists could be seen amongst the bright hues of the spotlights.

At around 9 o’clock, those elected for the Winter Formal were revealed. From the Freshman class, Miles Morning and Maleah Martinez, Sophomore class Julian Solis and Samantha Chou, Junior Class Malia Yu and Adrian Huang, and lastly from the Senior class Tyler Giddings and Sabrina Falabella. Coming to a close, “I Gotta Feeling” by The Black Eyed Peas ended the festivity. This dance was a nice interlude from the school routine, starting off a new semester with more vitality!