Winter Formal

Last Saturday, Exonians braved the cold walk from their dorms to Grainger Auditorium to attend WPEA’s annual Winter Formal. Upon arrival, they shed their sweatpants and winter jackets to dance to live music, relax at tables and socialize with friends. Friend groups had their photos taken together to commemorate the night.

Hosted by Exeter’s radio station, Winter Formal is Exeter’s only formal dance of the year. Some students believe that the upscale dress-code is what draws Exonians to the event. “I think Winter Formal is something that people go to because it’s a formal dance—that’s why it’s so popular,” lower Gabriella Shetreet said. The students noted their enjoyment of getting dressed up and shopping for their attire as a good way to relieve stress after the long school week.

In addition to increasing student turnout, the attire was a major reason for the event’s supportive atmosphere, according to lower Brody Faliero. “It is always fun to see all of your friends dressed up, feeling confident,” she said.

Upper Patty Fitzgerald agreed with Faliero. “My favorite part was seeing so many of my friends looking amazing, and everybody was so positive! I think there was a lot of self confidence at the dance and I appreciate that.” The night after Winter Formal, Exonians flooded Instagram with photos of friend groups combined with Winter Formal related captions.

However, some Exonians felt pressured to find dates for the event. “I know a few people who didn’t feel comfortable going because they didn’t have a date,” upper Zane Ice said. Fitzgerald agreed, comparing the dance to a “mini prom.” “[Going with a date] is a standard. If you don’t do it, you don’t really fit in without other people,” Fitzgerald said. “Going alone to a dance is something which is generally frowned upon, and that extends more to WinFo because of its reputation as a date dance.”

This concern was not shared by all, however. For many, Winter Formal was simply another event to relax and have a good time with their friends. Though some students chose to ask their peers to accompany them to the dance, they did not equivalate it to a romantic gesture. “If you ask somebody to Winter Formal, you aren’t really asking them so that you can dance with them; you’re just asking them to take a picture together,” Faliero explained.

Some Exonians came to Winter Formal for just that: a photo. “My favorite part of Winter Formal was taking pictures with my friends!” Shetreet said. Indeed, Faliero admitted that the event is less of a dance than an opportunity for photos. “I don’t think that the actual dance is very formal, considering it’s mostly a long line of people waiting to get their pictures taken,” she stated.

Some students felt that live music was difficult to dance to. “A lot of people were kind of making fun of the music. I definitely think it could have been better, but a lot more people were in the auditorium dancing this year than there were last,” lower Ali Hanlon said.

However, many believed that the live music contributed to the laid-back ambiance of the dance. Many Exonians had particular admiration for the diversity of songs played. “It was refreshing to hear a mix of different genres rather than just the most popular music,” Shetreet said.

Although the dance may be relaxed, the process of preparing and setting up the event can be busy. Upper Henry Pallatroni, a member of the WPEA board, commented on the marketing preparation leading up to the dance. “For me, the most important part of the whole process was promotion. The WPEA winter formal couldn’t have been a success if nobody knew about it,” he said.

Overall, the dance garnered positive reviews from the student body. “WinFo is something really special, and many people I know look forward to it during the first few, hard weeks of winter term,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s like a fun and fancy way to take a break from classwork, and this year it exceeded my expectations by far.”