News: Semi
On 4 December, over 150 students and guests gathered at Ellas Banquet Halls to attend MGCI’s annual Semi Formal dance. It ran from 6 pm to approximately 11 pm. The evening was organized by Social Convener Lydia Gouveia.
The night began as students filed in through the doors. School administration checked tickets and bags. The DJs set up and started the music.
The event continued with a buffet style dinner, with tables being called up in pairs to serve themselves in a timely manner. The meal featured a selection of salads and a variety of entrées.
“The food was great! I’m glad I didn’t have to wait like at last year’s Semi Formal,” commented Neerajen Sritharan, a Grade 12 student. Many other students expressed that this arrangement was better organized than last year’s sit-down dinner and that it allowed the students to choose what they wanted to eat.
Other students had ideas for future improvements. Grade 11 student Javaria Sattar suggested that SAC should hold the Semi Formal dance at a different venue, as Ellas Banquet Halls has been used many times in the past.
On that topic, Lydia noted, “I searched hard for a new venue, but Ellas was the nicest and most affordable. I did not want to raise the price of the ticket any more than I had to.”
Following the meal, the dancing portion of the night began.
During the week leading up to the dance, students could submit song requests online. In total, students made approximately 100 requests. The DJs were able to play a large percentage of them. Yet some still felt that that the music played was not suited to everyone.
Though the music did not suit all students, most enjoyed themselves, and the night was a success.
However, ticket sales were rather low in comparison to the previous years. Of the 300 tickets available, approximately 200 were needed to cover the costs of the dance. Unfortunately, only 162 tickets were sold. Due to the shortfall, plans for future events have been placed on hold.
The deficit, totaling approximately $500, will be taken out of the SAC budget. The budget itself is funded from the $20 registration fee collected from students at the beginning of every year. From some rough calculations, this is about 28 cents per student.
Last year’s Semi Formal saw 309 students attending. The low amount of ticket sales for this year’s dance came as a surprise to everyone. “I’m not quite sure why there was such a lack of school enthusiasm this year,” said Lydia. “My best guess would be bad timing. I know personally for me, school expenses really piled all at once this month”. Some students complained about an increase in ticket prices, as they were $3 more than the 2013 prices to account for the presence of police officers, as requested by school administration.
The fate of future dances this year is uncertain. Due to the lack of ticket sales for Semi Formal, the annual Spring Fling dance may be cancelled. Furthermore, if a future dance were to occur, only those who attend Winterfest will be allowed to participate. The decision to hold a dance lies in the hands of administration. Luckily, as Prom and Athletic Banquet are funded separately, they will still be taking place.
