Students dressed up for the first UCCS Winter Formal on Saturday Feb. 22 at the Ent Center for the Arts. It featured free food, a bar with drinks and mocktails, dancing, a DJ and a photo booth.
The formal, hosted by SGA, was announced on Mountain Lion Connect four days prior to the event. Thankfully, I had a box of formal dresses that had been collecting dust in the back of my closet and didn’t have work, so I was able to make it.
My group got there a little after the event started and, to our surprise, we saw that the Ent Center was full of people as we drove up. We were greeted by a disco ball, mood lighting and people flocking to the dance floor for the Cupid Shuffle.
Attendees distributed themselves throughout the dance floor and hallways, either dancing or chatting amongst themselves while the DJ played various pop remixes and a few slow dance songs.
There was constantly a lengthy line for the photobooth to the side of the dance floor, which featured a customized UCCS formal frame and a variety of photo props. It was free and had unlimited uses with printing on site, making it so busy that I ended up forgetting to take pictures before I left (sorry, Mom).
I explored the Ent Center for every aspect of the event, including a designated quiet area in the Shockley-Zalabak Theater. Fliers advertised karaoke, which I was really looking forward to, but I never ended up finding it.
The “business casual to formal” dress code allowed students to show off their fashion sense, showcasing a wide range of attire from jeans and button-ups to elaborate gowns. No one fully looked like they were going to the same event, which made for a quirky crowd.
Guests 21 years old and over were given a two-drink maximum tracked by wristbands given with purchases of alcoholic beverages, including wine, beer, margaritas and a gin aviator. I spent $15.14 on two lime margaritas, one of which I spilled all over myself and my friends almost immediately after I bought it.
The buffet provided quick bites to eat, featuring meatballs, mocktails and charcuterie side items, which were gone within the first hour of the event, so I unfortunately didn’t get the chance to try anything.
Lyft vouchers were provided to ensure that safe and reliable transportation was available for attendees, especially commuter students, but they were difficult to use and only five students ended up using them.
UCCS Vice President Aidan Burke began planning the winter formal during the spring 2024 semester with the intention of creating a main campus event to engage with the Ent Center and give students the opportunity to mingle and dress up.
“The Ent Center is beautiful and it’s something that we should flaunt more often. So, having an excuse to dress up and go to a really nice place … worked out really well,” Burke said.
I can’t dance to save my life, so I wrapped up the night by trying to find a comfortable way to sit down in my fitted sequined gown and playing a game of Jenga on the top floor of the Ent Center before leaving as the event came to an end.
Students hit the dance floor at the Winter Formal. Photo by Logan Cole.