At their last meeting, the senior class club members made a suggestion to have a winter formal this school year. Currently, there are two dances that occur annually, Homecoming in the fall semester and Prom at the end of the spring semester. Homecoming is available to all grade levels but Prom is exclusive to just juniors and seniors. The senior class plans to combine the ideas of these two events to create an elegant night for all students.
The details are still being discussed and the possibility of it even happening is on air. Students have been debating the details of the event and if it would be something they wanted. The main questions are can it happen, and is it worth organizing? “I think it would be fun. A good way to, you know, get everyone back together before everyone disappears again” Junior Camden Swinton states.
A point of discussion has been whether or not the formal would be an all grades event or exclusive to certain grades. Students argue that it would be better as an all grades event so everyone could be included especially because there is only one dance a year that all grades are allowed to attend. “I feel like all grades so that everyone gets to be with their friends and it’s not exclusive cause that’s what I feel like Prom is for,” freshman DJ Valle voiced, “The only event underclassmen can attend is Homecoming so I feel like the formal would be something that I’d like.”
With all grades attending, many people will have to be entertained and students have suggested various activities that would make them want to go to the event such as decorations, dancing, and games. “I think that all of the activities that are at Homecoming should be there like music to dance and photo booths!” sophomore Kailani Hettiarachchi commented.
The event is described as formal so it has been debated if the dance should take place at a more “formal” setting other than Oakdale’s cafeteria but a general census among students is that the cafeteria will work fine for it.
It goes without saying that the winter formal would occur during the winter time but students are split on whether it should happen before winter break or after the break. The general idea is it should happen before the break so it could be around the holidays and so everyone could get together before the end of the semester.
Senior Ava Graminski suggested that the formal be centered around winter sports events in order to make the formal similar to Homecoming which is centered around the Homecoming football game. “The winter sports season, like basketball playoffs or right before states or something,” Graminski states, “because we have a Homecoming game, we should have a winter formal game”.
Students agree that time is running out to put on this event during this school year and that decisions need to be made sooner rather than later. There’s also a lack of enthusiasm for the event from people who may not get to experience it this year, such as seniors. After not having one all four years it can be hard for seniors to adjust to a winter formal thrown on them at the last possible moment with no guarantee of it actually happening.
There is no guarantee of the winter formal happening this year as it is a long process and there is little time left. However, the students of Oakdale clearly have an interest in a winter formal, and agree that if one is put on it should become an annual event. This idea has potential to be inherited and executed by a future senior class grade if it does not happen this year.
