A Yule Ball at Mass Academy
After a few months of hard work, the Mass Academy students celebrated their efforts during a schoolwide semi-formal. Over 80 students attended, some from MAMS and many others from towns across the state.
It was the 1st full-effect semi-formal at Mass Academy since 2019, as COVID-19 precautions limited the event during the past few years.
The event was planned by the junior student council and class advisors, Ms. Kristen Small and Ms. Julie Wildfong.
Asked about the most difficult part of the planning process, Small said, “The turnaround time between when we get the officers elected and then there’s an October event and then we have to start right on December planning so it’s just a tight schedule.”
Twinkling lights threaded throughout Higgins House (the venue) and complemented the building’s own ornate details, which inspired the event’s theme.
“It [the theme] came up while we were talking casually, actually,” said Vaishnavi Harish, the junior class secretary. “We commented on how Higgins was naturally dark, but still ornate, and its design immediately reminded us of Hogwarts. So, we decided to go mystical and pick a Harry Potter-esque theme and since it’s winter, we went with Yule Ball.”
Both of the class advisors liked the theme and even the tickets matched the Yule Ball aesthetic.
Everyone danced to songs like “Gangnam Style” by PSY and newer ones like “good 4 u” by Olivia Rodrigo. After dancing for a while, students took a break in another room, where they chatted and snacked on the hummus cups and cookies.
One group of about ten started a game of Mafia as a fun way to get to know their friends’ guests. Others used the photo setup, complete with a ring light and phone stand, to capture memories with their friends.
Owl City’s “Fireflies” ended the night as everyone turned on their phone’s flashlight and waved it through the air, sad that the semi-formal had to end so soon.
Isabella Palit
Junior Staff Writer