Winter Ball attendance falls short of expectations

ASB officers hoped to increase the head count at Winter Ball, which took place on Dec. 13, by holding it in the Large Gym, lowering bid prices, decreasing pressure on students to bring dates and allowing semi-formal attire.

Their hopes, however, were not fulfilled, and attendance fell short of what they expected. they had aimed to get a turn out of at least 500 but ended up with about 400 attendees.

“We wanted a lot more people to come,” said ASB vice president, senior Felix Tuan. “It was still a record amount for this type of dance, but our goal was to make it almost as popular as Homecoming.”

Students were even allowed to buy bids up until the day of the event in order to fill the dance floor.

“We thought by letting people buy bids on Saturday we would accommodate those who were unsure of whether they wanted to go up until the last minute,” said Tuan.

Because of the location change, the ASB was able to splurge on decorations, with a total cost of about $9,000 according to ASB treasurer senior T.T. Tu. The dance also featured a dessert bar with a chocolate fountain and an assortment of cookies and brownies.

“I liked all the decorations, and the food was really good,” said attendee sophomore Aditya Dev. “It was also a lot easier having it at school, especially since I’m a sophomore and didn’t have to worry about carpooling, but I otherwise would have.”

Also unlike previous years, behavior at the dance did not seem to be a huge issue, as many students toned down the dancing after parents’ complaints regarding Homecoming.

“I was pleasantly surprised to see that people weren’t being too rowdy,” said Tu. “I’m pretty sure the chaperones were, too.”

Although attendance was low, Tuan and Tu believe that the dance, themed “Never Felt This Way,” was a success.

“The DJ was on time unlike at Homecoming,” said Tuan. “People looked like they were having a good time, especially because the desserts were amazing.”

The ASB officers have started a tradition that they hope will last.

“At first, no one knew how the new take on Winter Ball would turn out,” said Tuan. “But after going through the process, we’ll know what to do for future years.”