Editor’s Note (06/30/2022): To give context, this blog post is about Winter Formal, set during my junior year of high school. The title was reflects the title/theme of formal.

Being placed into an executive position has given me another depth into the ‘formal-scene’. Being placed into a ballot for formal royalty has given me another depth into the ‘formal-scene’.

I shouldn’t speak on my experiences of the formal prior, knowing my eardrums have adapted…

Formal was great, my eardrums are not, but in all I can sleep peacefully knowing that I have something marked off of my high school bucket list. formal twenty eighteen

…and I shouldn’t speak on my experiences of the formal prior, because I was not aware that I could have skipped the line because I was considered “VIP” considering I was in ASB.

I really dreaded going to formal, waiting in that long line, and honestly doing absolutely nothing. formal twenty nineteen

Formal started a few months prior, and I want to say as early as November 2019, but our theme was already picked August 2019. Within my leadership class, as we began to discuss grouping and decorations and, I jolted to become committee chair of our formal walls. Rally season was over for a while, and I wanted to occupy myself the many weeks I would be task-less. You’d think I’d be able to make a poster, or do something creative, but nope. Really, no really, I have already tried to make a poster during my leadership period.

My typography was always geared to be small and compact, not loud and bold, but the best I could do those next few weeks, if anything, was hanging other people’s posters with tape. After stepping up, I was flat out told that no one really paid attention to the walls last time, so we were scaling back. (And in all honesty, that statement was true.)

I am forever still proud of my committee chair members, the fabric we used ended up looking amazing, especially with the amount of glitter we used. We didn’t use the same amount as the walkway did, and trust me, they used bottles of gold glitter. If both ours and the walkway department’s decorations blinded us while they were in the sun, then I knew they would only shimmer, in absence or in leu of guests that night. I know they were just simple tapestries, but the fun work days in the extension room tracing and decorating, as well as all the team work trying to deal with thin fishing line, teamwork really does make the dream work.

Beforehand, I ate at this sandwich place I have never been to, but except, it was my friend’s favorite place of all time, and oh my gosh, I did enjoy the sandwich I ordered. Something about the barbecue sauce and their specialty bread really hit the spot. I sometimes take for granted all the food I’ve eaten, but when I had leftovers, the next morning, I woke up and devoured them up.

Pulling up, and getting through security was the quickest when I finally used the VIP fast-pass. Being searched was normal procedure for formal, as hormones and adrenaline don’t usually produce the best decisions. Plus, with us getting through breezy, getting through security with laughs was a joy.

Do I look like a threat, sir?

I asked the security guard who was searching me, and we shared a laugh before I also shared a laugh with the assistant principal who jokingly accused me of drugs. You’d think that’d be insensitive, but we both shared the laugh, and we both had a good time.

For the next four, or more specifically three hours and thirty minutes, that was an entire vibe. The flashing lights, the sporadic jumping and hand movements, with the DJ telling us to put our hands in the air, it was just another formal. There were confusing times where we did not know what was playing, or like how our cupid shuffling started and ended very unorganized, but I was the dancer, not the DJ. And when “Single Ladies” by Beyonce came on, or “My Type” by Saweetie, I was going hard.

As the formal mood started to intensify, I was suddenly reminded I was nominated for top five royalty. I didn’t expect to win, and spoiler, I did not win, but I was still forever thankful to be even considered. That made my entire week, January 13, even through it was somewhat hectic and stressful with things also happening in my life: the reforming of a club becoming assuming president and a rhetorical analysis in my English class, which I nicely finished within the time frame. I had strong faith in the power couple, and I wouldn’t have wanted the situation any other way.

After that, we took our ASB photo for the yearbook, as all of us took the fun time to make all of this happen. Now, I mentioned three hours and thirty minutes because after that entire night, we were slumped. I was basically trying to take a nap, and both of our legs just could not take the standing anymore.

Once the night ended, cleanup was cleanup. Making sure all the extra water was disposed, all of the cups thrown away, and all of the extra candy handled properly with. There was a small moment that woke me up as, I want to believe it was my moisturizer and sweat all going into my eye, but suddenly, my eyes started burning and some reaction occurred, but once I checked myself out, I had a nice drive back home having the music and heat blast, and as the freeway was somewhat empty, my mind was full of thought, attempting to process how everything went right.

Three formals in, and you’d think by now it wouldn’t be chaotic, but hey, when is my life never chaotic?