On May 6, 2023, Concord Academy hosted Formal, an annual, all-school tradition. The event was quite enjoyable, and gave students time to hangout with others outside the academic setting. The time, effort, and money poured into this event made it an extremely engaging night. But, what really happened leading up to and during Formal?
Formal preparation was ongoing long before the date of the event. One of the biggest parts of Formal was its location. As an All School Entertainment Representative tasked with organizing formal, Conor Kennealy ’23 said, “We encountered some issues with deciding on venues in the beginning, but for the most part it was a smooth process thanks to my other reps and Sandy [Nash] and Jacquie [Diffley].” The venue that ended up being chosen, The Sinclair, was an amazing place for Formal to be hosted. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, The Sinclair was big enough that it felt both not too crowded and also constantly lively. “I was most excited for the overall vibe of the event. It’s supposed to be the best event of the year and I hope I wasn’t the only one excited to see how it turned out,” Conor added. To many, the event did not disappoint, and the venue that was chosen definitely played a large role in the experience of Formal.
As for any large event, another large part of the preparation for Formal was the money. When asked about the total cost of the dance, Conor replied, “It was about 25 to 27k. That is for venue costs, food from 3 local businesses, ice cream, the DJ, and other little things.” Tickets to formal were $100 per person, as well as the cost of outfits. All of this money did not go to waste, though, with the food, venue, and the music all making Formal an extremely memorable night.
During Formal, it was hot. With many people dancing, the sheer amount of friction made things sweaty in the center of the mosh pit; adrenaline was high, and people were moving. Additionally, there was an array of food for the guests, along with refreshments such as ice cream and water.
Along with this, the venue offered many places to hang out, with the dance floor, an upper section of the building, and the “Zen Den,” a room intended to be a quiet space but it was reportedly not very peaceful. Overall, it was quite a memorable night, and everyone enjoyed some fun.
When questioned about his thoughts on Formal, Eric Lin ’23 and multiple other subjects simply raised a thumbs up. And that, summed it up pretty well. Formal went smoothly, and was quite a fun event.When asked about how fulfilled he was, Finn Uhrich ’26 said, “Pretty much, Loud." Despite the noise, a lot of students agreed that Formal was a fun night.
With music, huge mosh pits, ice cream, good food, excitement, and pure adrenaline filling the air, it was a invigorating celebration. The Sinclair, the thousands of dollars poured into the event, along with the amazing experience of just being there with friends, made Formal a truly spectacular event. Whether it was dancing or hanging out on the sidelines drinking cold drinks, Formal was a pleasant way to end off the year with a bang.