How would New Trier be different than every other public high school if we didn’t have themed school dances?

The answer is that we wouldn’t be different. New Trier attempts to make our school unique by calling gym kinetic wellness and spelling advisery with an e, but what truly sets us apart from every other public institution is our themed dances.

Although loads of stress goes into the preparation for choosing a stellar theme and perfecting a crowd pleasing outfit, the final result of these themes makes up for all the smaller issues that go into these “dress up” dances.

It’s an exciting idea for the juniors and seniors because we finally get to wear creative outfits on a day other than Halloween.

It’s also fun to show up to the dance at New Trier and spot friends and their costumes. No one admits to it, but everyone gets joy out of critiquing every groups outfits.

All I end up hearing the Monday after Homecoming and Turnabout is about how horrible or great a certain theme looked. As long as you weren’t part of the group that is being ripped to shreds, you’re in the clear!

However, if you are that group, I strongly advise you to walk in confidently Monday morning and block out all the haters.

I personally think that having themed dances also cuts down the day of preparation time by at least half. I’m mostly referrring to the time needed for girls to get ready, but in general, I never end up putting as much thought into my hair and makeup for these dances as I would for Prom.

Some argue that formal dances look more put together. Sure, some themes can be a little weird, but that’s the fun of it! We’re going to look back at these photos in 10 years and laugh at how funny we looked. Themed dances will only end in entertainment and hopefully good memories.

Why would people want to dress formally for all three dances anyways? We already have one dance for which we are required to dress formally, and that’s enough for me.

I also think that only having one formal dress dance makes Prom that much more special. I mean really, what fun would it be to get all dolled up if you already did that for two other dances?

Another huge advantage of these themed dances is that girls don’t have to worry about other girls wearing the same dress as them. I know that’s always an awkward moment. No one likes to look like a copy of someone else.

I’m not saying that I would want to eliminate formal dances all together, but I do think that it’s great to mix the attire up with some themed dances and creativity.