The Four Formals
In a season already filled with the usual holiday excitement, one event seems to culminate the school year. This is Winter Formal, the event anticipated by all not only as the shining, blissful icon signifying the end of semester exams, but an excuse to dress up, go to dinner and wildly screech your favorite songs with your comrades. However, this experience may differ based upon which Lawrence school you attend. Although there are some standards common with Formal, such as pre-dance dinners, lots of throwback music and outfit shopping, each school has its own unique culture, and this reflects onto what their school dances are like.
The school with the largest population in Lawrence is Free State High School, and due to that, is has a large attendance at dances, with a couple hundred people. However, for some, this is a downside. “What I dislike about formal is how crowded it is,” says Free State junior Nirali Patel. However, it still has its positive aspects. “There’s lots of pretty lights hanging up, and previously it’s been at Abe and Jake’s, but I think this year it’s going to be at the KU Ballroom, so this year is going to be a new experience.” She later adds, “What I like about the formal is that when everyone’s there, everyone’s dancing.”
Rivaling Free State is Lawrence High School, the other large public school of Lawrence. Similar to Free State, LHS also has a large attendance at the dance, also with a few hundred people. Last year, their formal was held at the Lied Center. “I like that everybody is just really taking part, and everyone goes, and it’s just a lot of fun. Everyone makes it fun,” says LHS sophomore Chase Reed. He says most of the music played at LHS Formal is pop. When asked what was unique about his school’s Formal, Reed says, “The amount of people who go and the overall atmosphere of the party.” He added there was nothing he disliked about the dance. Senior Vanya Racy has a similar opinion, saying, “I go there to just socialize and have fun.”
The smallest high school in Lawrence that often goes quietly unrecognized is Veritas Christian Academy. The formal at Veritas is usually very small, with roughly 40 to 50 people in attendance, and usually plays a lot of throwback music. Although Veritas only has roughly 35 people in their high school, many homeschoolers attend the dances, which are held at the Oread Center downtown. One homeschooler, junior Emma Boulton, discusses the atmosphere of the dance. “The vibe is really fun. You kind of just feel like you can just be yourself and not feel judged, and everyone is pretty open and just super nice,” she says. Contrary to the contentions of public school attendees regarding how crowded their dances are, Boulton addresses her opinion on how small the dance is. “I love that I know everyone, and I feel pretty comfortable, but I don’t like that it’s pretty small usually.” Veritas senior Jackson Rau also shares these opinions. “It’s pretty fun in the fact that it’s more of a hanging-out thing than an actual dance,” says Rau.
It seems in terms of attendance, Seabury seems to be somewhere in between too small and too crowded. Held at the Eldridge, Seabury Formal has roughly 180 people in attendance. Generally, the biggest differentiating factor between formal at Seabury and that of other schools is that middle school students can come to the dance. “I think that it’s unique that we have a blend of ages there,” says sophomore Paige Helt. “It feels like everybody dances and talks to everybody.” Seventh grader Helena Gutierrez-Gibbs also enjoys formal, and says, “When you first get there, it’s pretty chill, and kind of awkward, but as the night progresses, it gets more fun.”
Formal, clearly one of the most anticipated events of the year, is undoubtedly treasured at each school as the symbol representing the end of half of a year of hard work and the start to the long-awaited and well-deserved winter break. It seems everyone appreciates this fun addition to the holiday season.
