by Andrea Traietti on February 6, 2020
Opinion
by Emily Ball ’22
Opinion Staff
In terms of a normal weekend at Providence College, one can expect a typical routine involving hanging out with friends, exploring the city, grabbing a bite to eat, and other little excursions.
Although these typical weekends are very entertaining in and of themselves, school dances and other events are perfect for mixing up the weekends with an extravagant night of dressing up and dancing with friends.
Some people argue that these dances are not worth going to because dressing up is a hassle or because they have to buy a ticket in order to attend. Yet, these dances offer a nice break from a typical weekend and are actually an inexpensive way to hang out with one’s friends in a different setting.
Although dressing up requires a little more effort than normal, it is fun to get ready with friends and come together to take pictures. Students may think that dressing up means buying new clothes, but this extra cost can be avoided by reusing old dresses and dress shirts from past events or borrowing from friends.
“I think that having school dances, at least from BOP’s perspective, is a great way to change up the redundant weekend scene. People love an excuse to dress up once in a while and take pictures. But more importantly, they create memories and the pictures people take you will have forever. So it is just a fun way for people to dress up, get together in a different setting than normal, and make memories,” Mariella Catalano ‘22, a member of Board of Programmers (BOP) said.
The reason that students must pay for a ticket in order to attend is because of the food and entertainment costs. Entrance into dances cannot be free if the school provides amenities for the students.
At PC, BOP works hard to provide delicious food and quality entertainment, including a live band at the Black & White Ball for the students to enjoy.
“For everything they provide at the dances, I think that the cost of a ticket is very much worth it,” Maddie Guth ‘22 said. “If BOP is able to get us food like pizza and decorate the Peterson Recreation Center so nicely then we should be willing to pay a small price to get in. Also, the band and the music that they have at the dances are worth the money because they bring good energy and are always playing songs that we know.”
Additionally, the tickets are inexpensive for the quality of entertainment that is provided at the dances. For instance, the Frozen Friar Ball, a dance for the class of 2022, only costs students $5, and the Black & White Ball, which offers a live band that plays popular music, only costs students $20. PC also offers food such as pizza and small handheld desserts, which also contributes to the small fee students have to pay.
“Seeing how much work we put into the dances, I wish more people would go to experience them. It is a privilege to be able to put on these dances, and they are a great way to get a break from the normal weekend routines,” Kevin Rockwal ‘22, a member of BOP said.
Not only that, but, “The dances have only gotten better each year so I think people should expect that to continue this year!” Rockwal said.
Although there is nothing better than a weekend with friends and relaxing, school dances offer a change in the typical routine. School dances are the perfect way to get members of a class or the entire school together for a night of fun and dancing.