Behind The Mask
By LILY VILLA & ALYSSA FUENTES
On Nov. 19, Manteca High School will hold its annual fall formal dance in the new gym.
The dance was open to the student body and only 375 tickets were sold. The theme is a masquerade ball inspired by the roaring 20’s fashion and style.
Planning began about three months ago to give enough time to gather all the necessary materials. During this time, meetings have been held every Wednesday to discuss matters involving the dance. Once the date was established, the school’s Leadership students formed a formal committee consisting of student volunteers to help with the planning, promotion, and decorations.
“Every year our committee changes, new students volunteer and it’s amazing because they become involved with their school,” said senior Daizy Espinoza, a Leadership student and member of the formal committee.
FORMAL COMMITTEE: Nahlana Cedano, Daizy Espinoza, Kaiyah Little, Aleena Daquioag, Preston Smith, Ava Negranza
The theme was selected by the student body. Once the formal committee and its student leaders narrowed the selection to at least four, the selections were uploaded onto the Five Stars website where the student body voted for the winner.
Once the theme was established, the planning began.
With the money raised through fundraisers and with ASB donations, the formal committee hired a planner and a DJ for the dance. The planner will guide the students through the decorations, while choosing the color schemes, the type of flowers to use, and the overall setup of chairs, tables, curtains, lights, and balloon arches. This year, the gymnasium will be washed in rich white, gold, black, dark purple, red, and dark blue colors. There is an emphasis on elegancy since the theme is centered around the roaring 20s. Formal attire is the standard; students are encouraged to wear masquerade masks and gloves as it is the typical attire at a masquerade ball.
The music playlist is left for the DJ. The formal committee oversees the rest.
“There are individual assignments within the committee. We all have a checklist, and every person is in charge of completing the task given to them,” said Nahlana Cedano, the leader of the formal committee.
The school has partnered with Leonard Photography for portraits of students in formal attire to advertise the dance. Members of the committee have printed the poster and hung them around campus. Other members have been assigned to promote the dance through social media platforms, such as Instagram.
“When we work together, we get the job done faster,” said Connor Navarro. “In Leadership, we brainstorm in teams and bounce off each other’s ideas. It’s a whole learning experience.”
The planning for the formal does not stop until the night of the formal. Early in the morning, student volunteers will team with parent volunteers to decorate and set up the dance in the gymnasium. All profits from the dance will go to the school and will be earmarked for future dances and events.
Manteca High senior Ty Flores contributed to this report.
