Wheelwright Whiteout Dance
On Saturday night, Wheelwright girls daubed in neon paint stormed the North side of campus, chanting their dorm name. They ended their run in Grainger Auditorium, where they hosted the first dance of spring term, Wheelwright Whiteout. Students streamed in, where they were met with loud music, glow sticks and refreshments. Attendees clad in white clothing danced through the night, bumping to the beat of pop hits and partying with friends, their outfits glowing fluorescent under the blacklight in the auditorium.
The annual Wheelwright Whiteout dance has been an Exeter tradition for decades. “It’s fun to wear light colors during spring term, despite the cold wintery weather, and the black lights always make white clothing look really cool. The name ‘Wheelwright Whiteout’ has some nice alliteration to it!” Wheelwright senior and proctor Alexis Gorfine said.
Wheelwright residents divided tasks for the organization of the event, led by the dorm’s proctors, who began preparing for the dance during the last few weeks of winter term. “Winter term, we worked with Ms. McGahie who was great about getting all the supplies we would need,” senior and proctor Clara Lee said. By helping to hire a DJ, get refreshments and providing decorations, faculty member Kelly McGahie was integral in making sure the logistics of the event were covered.
Last week, the proctors advertised the event by hanging up flyers around campus and by creating a Facebook event. The preparation of the dance became a big dorm bonding event for the Wheelwright girls. They decorated white t-shirts for each girl in the dorm, designing them with a blue and silver wheel and a “W” motif to represent their dorm. Each of the residents of Wheelwright played a role in making the event successful by joining either a set up or clean up committee. Even though these “chores” were tiresome, Wheelwright girls enjoyed being a part of dance set up.
The dance received many favorable reactions. Most students were thrilled about the song selection and overall set up of the dance. The DJ tailored to a high school dynamic when selecting a playlist and was open to requests. “Especially after Saturday classes when it’s cold, it’s been a lot of fun, [there is] good music, everyone is happy to be here, everyone is excited, everyone’s dressed in theme and it’s been a good time,” said senior Marie Leighton McCall. The upbeat pop songs kept many of the students entertained, as they were all seen dancing eagerily along to the music.
Others loved the energy of the dance, even if they were unfamiliar with the music. “It’s interesting. I don’t really listen to a lot of the music that is being played, but I’m enjoying myself, so that’s what really counts,” prep Senai Robinson said.
However, a few people didn’t enjoy the event as much as others. “I left pretty early. I was pretty disappointed when Darude ‘Sandstorm’ played,” said upper Ray Alvarez-Adorno. Critics hoped to have a better selection of music but were still pleased with the decorations and food. Despite the criticisms, the dance seemed to exceed many people’s expectations, and kicked off the spring term on a positive note.
The Wheelwright girls put their best efforts into the dance and their hard work clearly paid off. After a tiresome first week back, the Exeter community felt joyful to relax and have fun on a Saturday night.