For the first time since the pandemic began, the Student Council is bringing back the Winter Formal. Hosted on January 29th from 7-9pm, the Winter Formal is a school dance for all upper school students. In a dramatic change from years past, this year’s dance will be held at school, outdoors and on the Intermediate School basketball court.

But with an evening in January comes cooler temperatures, and an outdoor dance might leave attendees shivering, so, in an exciting change from years past, StuCo will be providing fire pits and s’mores kits for all to enjoy.

In another welcome change from Homecoming, StuCo reduced the cost of tickets to $22 and chose the Sadie Hawkins format, where girls invite boys to the dance. All of these adjustments make the dance, even with its proper-sounding name, a more casual and accessible environment for students, especially for those who haven’t attended a school dance before.

StuCo also wants to bring Winter Formal back with a new atmosphere of school spirit with activities and competitions breaking up the two hours. Sophomore StuCo Representative Patrick Van Eyke notes that with Senior-Junior Prom just around the corner that a spirit-focused look “could really set this dance apart from any other school function.”

But these plans are not without detractors. Junior Elaina Bayard commented that “it’s really irresponsible to hold a dance when there are thousands of COVID cases per day.” Even precautions like preventing outside guests and hosting it outside may not be deterrents against the virulent and contagious Omicron variant.

The Student Council has pledged to monitor the COVID situation carefully and adjust if necessary.  As of today, the Winter Formal will go on. So if you’re ready for a fun time with your friends, go and pick up a ticket from Mr. Holt after the 14th and we’ll see you there.