When students stepped into Malden High School’s Cafeteria B on February 6th, the familiar lunch spot had been transformed into something almost unrecognizable—filled with starry projections and music, it felt as though the iconic orange Boyle walls had vanished entirely. That evening, the student council for the Class of 2028 hosted a semi-formal winter dance, themed after the Northern Lights.
Starting at 6:00 pm, students filtered through the front door and walked under an archway built by the council to enter the dance. The archway was decorated with fairy lights and colored lace to create a mystical atmosphere for attendees from the moment they arrived. Moreover, a coat rack was provided, so no student had to haul their winter jacket all night.
To create an “authentic feeling” as described by Vice President Sabrima Bhattarai, the walls were adorned with black curtains, the pillars were covered with “black construction paper and LEDs,” the lights were dimmed, and tiny lanterns sat atop the tables. “We wanted students to leave with an unforgettable experience and a good time,” Bhattarai expressed.
Tickets had either been purchased ahead of time at lunch for $10 or were sold at the door for $12 by Treasurer Sophia Zhang and Event Coordinator Vanessa Pham. In comparison to past dances, ticket prices were usually set at $5; however, the CO ‘28’s decision to raise the prices. This came with the advantage of attendees having free food, drinks, a DJ, and a photobooth at their disposal.
The food station was placed near the back, where a variety of items lined the table, including vegetarian-friendly options. Tuna, ham, and roast beef rolls, spinach and broccoli calzones, chicken tenders, a veggie tray, fresh fruit, and an assortment of condiments were available as the main dishes. After a while, brownies, cupcakes, and cookies were dished for dessert.
The highlights of the night were the live DJ, Justin Pham, and a photobooth with printable polaroids, operated by Meghan Le, who worked with DJ Justin Pham. Sophomore Alexis Lee commented on how Pham ensured that there was not a single dull moment, and students remained “hyped” by playing popular songs, remixes, and mash-ups to cater to different music tastes, even in other languages.
Ranging from “Gasolina” by Daddy Yankee to “Golden” from the Netflix movie KPop Demon Hunters to the “67” audio clip, Pham showcased his talents as a DJ “to keep the crowd engaged,” with nearly everyone joining to play musical chairs at the end of the dance, shared sophomore Satvinder Sidhu.
Similarly, sophomore Lyra Heining voiced, “the dance floor was a place” she “could take a break from everything and let loose.”
In light of Memory Shop’s popularity in Boston among Malden High students, the council believed a strong advertising point would be to arrange a similar resource at the dance. Located to the left of the cafe’s door, Le had set up a backdrop and photobooth, proving it to be a magnet for students. Friends rushed to get in line to take home a printed polaroid as a memory of the dance. For many, it turned out to be their “favorite” part of the night, shared senior Moisha Howse.
The Class of 2028 had been looking forward to hosting a winter event since the beginning of the school year, and finalized on a semi-formal dance before winter break. Preparations began two to three weeks ago and required “intense planning” to arrange a plan that would “check all boxes,” noted Zhang. Frequent meetings were convened to sort out all of the fine details, such as the date and theme, materials needed, volunteers, the menu, budget, and layout necessary to make the dance a success.
Their main goal was to attract as many buyers as possible and earn a reasonable profit; however, Zhang added that many council members had low expectations due to the “slow rate of sales,” and Event Coordinator Pham thought it would “fail.”
“There is a stigma around school dances being unenjoyable—we wanted to break that,” stated President Julius Scott.
Fortunately, the council was able to make a satisfactory profit due to a large number of attendees, with over 30 sales made at the door, marking it as a night of triumph. Besides the Harlem Wizards tournament held in the Finn Gym last school year, the semi–formal was the CO’28 first major event marketed to highschoolers. Bhattarai hoped to try their “hardest to produce a dance that people would enjoy, remember, and leave knowing what we can offer in the future.”
This accomplishment would not have been possible without the support of their class advisors, science teachers Shannon Votaw and Kristen Kirby, who never once hesitated at doing what is best for their students.
In a single night, Malden High’s student body was able to experience a dazzling event where they could dance with their friends, immortalize memories at the photobooth, and enjoy never-ending food and chilled beverages, marking the Class of 2028’s semi-formal as a successful feat.
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