Aside from the Homecoming and Prom dances, Winter Formal is something Ida B. Wells-Barnett students look forward to each year. It’s a time to dress up, hang out with friends, maybe find a date and have fun.
This year’s Winter Formal took place on Feb. 8 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. The theme this year was “enchanted forest”. Similar to two years ago, Winter Formal was held at the famous Crystal Ballroom. The Crystal Ballroom is known for its bouncy floors and beautiful interior.
Compared to Homecoming, Winter Formal was a very official event. For starters, it cost $35 to get a ticket. This is due to the fact that the dance provides food and beverages and is held outside of the school.
The 90%attendance policy continued to affect IBW at Winter Formal as well. This meant students with less than 90%were either not able to go or had to speak with their grade advisor to let them know they wished to attend.
This year, around 600-700 students attended Winter Formal- 100 people less than last year. This is likely due to the new attendance it is definitely impacting the amount of students going to Winter Formal. Attendance requirements might disincentivize students to want to go to future dances, or on the other hand, it could motivate students to improve their attendance.
The dress code for Winter Formal was a little different compared to Homecoming. Students are expected to follow the theme but also wear more elegant and formal attire. For example, this might mean a longer dress compared to a shorter dress, or a nice suit. Of course, this is up to the student. Winter Formal is also different because students were allowed to wear heels.
Last year Winter Formal had to be rescheduled due to a snowstorm. It wouldn’t be “winter” formal without some snow. However, this year things ran much smoother. A student at IBW, Una Allen, enjoyed their time at the dance. They said, “I didn’t have any of the food, but the DJ was a lot better than last year, better than any of the other dances.” At Homecoming the DJ was not a crowd favorite. However, this DJ definitely showed up in our previous ones.
An advanced leadership student, Sydney Collins said, “[the]usic was okay in the middle, towards the beginning and the end [it] was really good.” The music can make or break a dance. This year’s Winter Formal music feedback was a lot better than in previous ones.
This year’s Winter Formal was a blast.If you didn’t go this year definitely consider going to next, or if you’re a junior or senior get hyped to live it up at Prom.
