For all high school students, January marks the end of a relaxing winter break and the advent of a brand new semester. As the students settle back into their monotonous schedules, the once-festive atmosphere is replaced with lethargic feelings brought upon by cold winter weather. To combat this drowsy interim between the holiday season and second semester, the Walpole High School Student Council provided the student body with a festive reprieve in the form of a semi-formal dance. On January 19, StuCo transformed the cafeteria into a Winter Wonderland, complete with streams of white Christmas lights, sparkling silver branches, and festive hanging snowflakes.
About 250 Walpole High students donned dresses and dress shirts of blue, black, silver, and gold in preparation for the winter-themed dance. The students, gathered in a mass on the dance floor, swayed to Pop music played by DJ Blaque. The DJ, who has attended the annual Pink Dance in October, pleased partygoers by playing three and a half hours of today’s top hits.
A few feet away from the dance floor, students snacked on tables lined with refreshments. Cotton candy, popcorn, and other sugary treats fueled the students and kept them dancing throughout the night. One of the biggest hits of the evening was the Candy Bar—a decorative table covered with sweets like Sour Patch, Laffy Taffy, Tootsie Rolls, and Hershey’s chocolate.
Acknowledging the lively atmosphere, senior Kate Preston said, “The decorations were amazing and the music got everybody dancing. I’m very glad I went this year.”
Apart from the popular music playlist and decadent dessert table, the most popular attraction at this year’s winter ball was the photo booth. Students grabbed their friends and lined up to take pictures with various props such as hats, glasses, and winter-related signs. Always a crowd favorite, the photo booth provided students with an amusing souvenir from the dance.
Additionally, this year marked the return of the Winter Ball Ice Queen and Snow King—a voting contest established to recognize the night’s most festive and enthusiastic dancers. About 85 votes were cast, and junior Mike Mazzotta and senior Remy Love were called up to the DJ booth to be crowned King and Queen. Love said, “I had a ton of fun at this year’s Winter Ball, and winning Ice Queen made it even more exciting.”
In the early stages of planning the event, Student Council struggled to find a date and time that would be most convenient for the greatest number of WHS students. Initially, the Winter Ball was chosen to be held on January 11; however, as the date drew near, numerous issues emerged. “There were a lot of conflicts with the Patriots game and a home varsity hockey game, so in order to accommodate the most students as possible the event was switched to a day in which there were no conflicts with home sports games,” said senior Matt Brownsword, the treasurer of Walpole High School Student Council. Ultimately, the date was established as January 11—the Sunday before mid-years. Though this particular day posed potential issues as well—students who planned to study for the impending exams would sacrifice precious hours of studying—the dance was successful, as attendance was at an all time high for StuCo-sponsored dances.
Like the Pink Dance, the annual Winter Ball encourages students in all grades to get involved in more school-related activities. While profits from the Pink Dance are donated to the American Cancer Society, earnings from the Winter Ball fund other school-wide events scheduled for the second half of the school year. Due to this year’s record-breaking attendance, Student Council accumulated a total of $1,850 in Winter Ball ticket sales and produced a profit of $230.”This year’s Winter Ball was very successful,” said junior Claudia Schoenthaler, a StuCo Representative. “So many people came out with a good attitude, and the entire Student Council put so much work into transforming the cafeteria.”
Pleased with the outcome of the third annual Winter Ball, Student Council Advisor Ms. Kerry McMenimen said, “The event exceeded our expectations, and all the participants provided our student council with positive feedback.” The Winter Ball, established with the intention of creating an exciting reprieve from the dull and gray winter monotony, has grown sufficiently over the years. In 2015, the Student Council hopes to increase the number of students in attendance and add more festivities to next year’s winter wonderland.
