Winter formal amongst pandemic: Students’ perspective

    Parents of North Harford High School students started an unofficial planning committee for the students to have a small sense of normalcy within a pandemic. 

    To create this normalcy, the idea of a winter formal was generated. So, on December 12, a winter formal was held for four hours. Tickets were $20 per person and took place from 6 to 10pm at the Deer Creek Overlook. It “had a lot of food and places to sit unlike homecoming at school,” says junior Gwen Kapinos. 

    At this dance, “the music was really just whatever we requested. Some of the artists were Mac Miller, Lil Uzi, and the Bee Gees,” recounts junior Carley Yox.Having the kids pick their own music added a sense of freedom for them and reaffirmed that the dance was planned for them. “It was just an aux through speakers instead of having a DJ. It was definitely different than having a DJ in front of you with all the lights and louder music,” says Kapinos.

    Along with that, even “the food was good [since] there were things like pizza and chips,” said Yox. The planners wanted to make sure that the majority of people could eat the food, would like it and have cheap food, so they were safe choices. 

    “It was planned very well. It was decorated very nicely and it was a good venue, but not many showed,” said Yox who added she “would [come to an event like this again since] many of my friends came with me and we had a good time.”

    As far as COVID-19 risks were concerned, Yox states that “masks were worn during the dance and hand sanitizer [was available]. Temperature checks were made at the door, also.” 

    As well as NHHS students being allowed to attend, “guests were allowed. I know a couple North Harford students brought their dates from Hereford and Calvert Hall.” Kapinos added that “anyone from any school and any grade could be a guest. There were people there that were not guests and just bought tickets, so it was pretty much just open to anyone.”

    Overall, ”I thought the dance was really fun. My friends and I had a great time dancing with people we would not normally hang out with so it was a good change of pace. We walked into the dance, dancing right away,” said Kapinos.  She noted that most of the people were sitting down. “We got up and encouraged them to dance with us instead of just sitting down for the whole formal. I would want more people to be there to make it better,” Kapinos says. “It was a good time, just not many people attended” adds Yox.