This semester is coming to an end. Amidst final exam and ACT preparation, students had a magical moment to relieve stress and dance the night away with MSMS’s annual Winter Formal dance. The theme chosen was the Yule Ball from the beloved and nostalgic “Harry Potter” saga. The Winter Formal Committee consists of students who planned decorations and the layout of the dance, and they had a satisfying result to all their hard work.

Rachael Vance, an MSMS senior and a committee member, says that they planned to have more decorations that didn’t come through; however, she thinks it “turned out really well.” Vance says, “I thought the location change was a lot more elegant and easier to decorate than last year’s, and, in particular, the piano decorated with the lights added ambience to the venue.”

The committee also consisted of MSMS seniors Valerie McGregor, Rachel Watson, Mckenzie Jones, Nicole Thornton, and Mary Stovall. Mrs. Jennifer Hodge and Coach Veleria Scott were also primary contributors to the planning process alongside other parents.

For seniors this dance was significant as it brings a close to one of their last semesters of high school. Many seniors thought this was a nice dance. Braeden Foldenauer says, “When we first got there it was slow and not as many people were dancing, but as the night progressed it became more enjoyable.”

He adds that “The decorations were also pretty cool, especially the backdrop of the moon.” Fellow senior Holiday Garrison agrees that “The painting of the moon and castle was really nice.” Garrison says, “As a ‘Harry Potter’ fan, I think it stayed true to the theme.”

Senior Sarah Tierce likes that “there were many different backdrops and places to take pictures.” Another senior Hannah Houston says, “I think the location of the dance was much nicer than last year’s. It was also cool that they allowed the royal court to dance with who they wanted.”

For the juniors this was the first MSMS “formal” dance they attended. Junior Mariana Strawn expected it to be similar to her old school’s homecoming dances “where it was just a cafeteria filled with people dancing and some cake and punch.” But she says that, “During this weekend’s dance I noticed all the tables and  there were lots of people having conversations and dancing and lots of food. I think it was a good experience!”

Junior Rosie Andrews also adds, “I like how the dance here was more formal than the ones at my old school.” She also says that “the food was really good, and the decorations were also nice.”

Junior Kevin Liao agrees with Andrews about the decorations and food. He says, “I really liked the stars that had everyone’s names because I think it added a personal touch and I also enjoyed the refreshments. I had a lot of fun.”

The music at the dance was also a major topic of conversation. Though students were given the opportunity to submit their own song requests in the weeks before the dance, some students wish that the songs were more common for a formal dance. Garrison says, “There were a few weird songs that just weren’t good for dancing.” On the other hand, Tierce feels that “the music was diverse, and there were many types of music that many people could enjoy.”

The dance started around 7 p.m. and ended by midnight. The voting and announcement for the Winter Formal Court took place during then. Seniors Tyler Hartman and Morgan Dollar were chosen to be the Winter Formal King and Queen, and juniors Aidan Dunkelberg and Keely Brewer were voted as Prince and Princess.

The photos in the gallery below were taken and provided by Dr. Heath Stevens.

Gallery • 13 Photos

Students dancing at Winter Formal