Winter Formal, the third dance of the year at M-A, took place on Saturday, February 11, at the Mitchell Park Community Center in Palo Alto. Hundreds of students, freshmen and seniors alike, gathered to dance the night away with friends at the Hawaiian-themed event. Popular local DJ Pegleg kept the dance floor moving with upbeat new music and plenty of throwback tunes. Inside, the spacious dance floor was decorated with balloons and tropical accents, as well as a photo booth with lots of props and a variety of Hawaiian leis.
Outside in the courtyard, students enjoyed snacks and drinks as they took a refreshing break from dancing. Leadership provided cupcakes, fruit, drinks, and always popular snow cones, free of charge for attendees. Despite the cold, there was a constant stream of students visiting the food table, although many more stayed enthusiastically on the dance floor.
Overall, the night was a huge success, from the music to the decor to the refreshments. Sophomore Hannah Perez added, “I really liked the variety of the songs! Everybody could connect to at least one of the songs.”
Although ticket sales were slow at first, leadership ended up selling over 300 tickets and saw their planning efforts pay off completely. Senior Kara Mullarkey, who played a big role in the planning of formal, said, “There’s a lot of work that goes into planning a dance that no one ever sees but the best part is during the event to take a moment, to step back and realize that all your hard work has amounted to something that others are enjoying. That’s what makes it all worth it.”
She also noted that students seemed to be having a great night, and recognized the success of her plans, saying, “Of course I can’t speak for everyone but from the feedback I’ve been hearing people enjoyed coming back to the community center for a second year. The DJ had a wide variety of music and the shaved ice cart was a hit!”
Winter Formal was a great way to welcome the new semester and prepare for Spirit Week, which started Monday, February 13 with Jersey Day.
