Though the Mount Vernon Winter Formal started at 8 sharp, most girls spent the better half of the afternoon getting ready for the end-of-the-month dance. After getting out of a car stuffed with dresses and laughter, the girls enter the cold night air. The warm light coming from the entrance is dimmed by the bright flashing LEDs bursting from the commons. The cold chases them inside but leaves shortly when they fit the dance floor to a Pitbull song. A time to dress up, eat with friends, and dance with people you see in classes everyday. Really a time to bond with your community and let loose. This is the experience of most Mount Vernon school dances but this one comes with many twists.
The most surprising feature was the movie portion of the dance. With the attendance dropping more each year, the student council needed a way to pique student interest. They chose the movie Rio to play on the PAC projector. There were also games like Uno, Guess Who? and others to play while watching. A pair of students even brought controllers to play a video game while the movie played, which may not have been the intended activity, but nonetheless left students entertained and with their community.
“It didn’t have the same vibe as homecoming,” junior Collin Clark said.“Less dancing but still so fun. Uno and Jenga was my favorite part!”
Though low in attendance, there was much for students to do during this magical night. In the main commons there was a dance floor full of decorations, lights and colors. Towards the back of the commons wasa kind and dapper gentleman running the sought-after photobooth.
”You gotta like take pictures and have memories from the night,” said freshman Lily McClellan. “Absolutely loved that place. I would go again and again!”
The booth’s props added to the fun of dressing up for a big night. With options like boas, fedoras, glasses and kisses on sticks. This amenity was free. Often students continued to go back for pictures with thor friend group or solo pics or just a combination of friends mixing up their positions. The five seconds you get in between pictures requires groups to think of new poses and faces to pull. Usually resulting in the memorable four pictures, adding more goofyness to the night. The best part of the photobooth during a dance is trying to go home with all the pictures you took. If any of those didn’t draw you in there was also a raffle going on throughout the night.
Some students shopped for their outfit that day or took their nice clothes out of storage to get ready for their evening out. Students started off their night by going out to eat with their groups and dates at places in town like si seniors, and in Cedar Rapids like Granite City or Roscoe Pizza. Some chose to go to Marion as well to go to Daisy’s Garage.
The biggest draw of a school dance is being able to dress up for not only yourself but classmates in a place that doesn’t have homework. This year’s winter formal accomplishes an entertaining night for many students, and even a few chaperons.
