The time is here: the rush for dresses, finding the perfect suit, making dinner reservations, and of course, finding the perfect date. All of these stressful accommodations assisted with the annual Columbus North formal. Students hurried to make sure everything is perfect for this semi formal dance.

The formal took place on Saturday, Jan. 23rd at Southside Elementary School. Whether it was one’s first formal as a freshman or their last formal as a senior, it is always a plus to make this night memorable, starting with finding the perfect outfit.

“I feel like a lot of freshmen girls go for more expensive dresses and go more out than the upperclassmen,” senior Cami Fainguersch said. “As you get older, formal becomes less of a big deal so you tend to go with the cheaper prices.”

Formal is like a preparation for prom, and a lot of upperclassmen aren’t into spending a lot of money since they have to pay more expensive prices come prom time. Formal is always a great experience, however, for underclassmen to have the feel of a mini prom. Although, spending a lot of money doesn’t have to be a trend.

“Some popular retail stores, like Charlotte Russe or Forever 21, have really cute party dresses for a great price,” senior Allison Bates said.

For guys, however, finding the attire can be a more lenient and less stressful activity. Whether it is borrowing a hand down, buying a new one, or using one that one just finds in their closet, it never seems to be a hassle.

“I never had to buy my own tux for formal or even prom,” senior Jacob Graham said. “They were all handed down to me from family members and I just use those.”

The classic attire is one thing, but finding the perfect date to match one’s sparkly pink dress or white tux is another stressful event. Some say that formal and prom proposals are getting more creative than actual wedding proposals! So, one would have to gather up all their materials and find the perfect person they want to share that first dance with and create the best way to ask.

“I asked my girlfriend to formal maybe about a month ago on top of the parking garage,” senior Mason Shaffer said “It was special because it was where I asked her to be my girlfriend and I thought it was just a good idea.”

Once one asks with the perfect proposal, next are the pictures and the dinner rush. One would want the perfect place where the light catches them and their date the best, and of course, one can’t dance on an empty stomach. CNHS media asked some of the upperclassmen where their favorite places to go are for each of these events.

“If you want to keep your meal on a lower price, I would go to Applebees or Chilis,” junior Harley Huser said. “I’ve seen some people go to Smith’s Row, if you want to lean toward an expensive meal.”

Whether you make a reservation for dinner or show up without one, expect the restaurant be packed. Not only is this stressful, but it piles on to the eventful situations on this night, including choosing the best places to take pictures. From a cellphone to an expensive camera, one would need the best pictures possible to show them off on Instagram.

“We always go to the Indigo Hotel to take pictures,” senior Alex Algee said. “They have really good backgrounds for the pictures.”

If one wants to stay simple for pictures, the photography at home is just as good as anywhere else!

“I think almost every year at formal, we go to someone’s house to take pictures,” senior Elle Williams said. “It saves a lot of stops and we usually go to someone’s house that has some nice scenery with it.”

Formal has been a high school tradition for years in Columbus and some students tried out this tradition for the first time.

“Formal was extremely fun and really hype,” freshman Bree Blanton said. “Our middle school dances were nothing compared to it.”

Although it was a first time thing for some freshmen, sophomores gave an insight of how formal was compared to the previous year.

“It felt about the same, and some stuff was changed compared to last year,” sophomore Finn Anderson said. “The theme was clever since Star Wars just came out.”

As stressful events come out, underclassmen and upperclassmen shared their thoughts on how they get prepared for this dance and how they enjoyed participating.

“I am definitely going to formal next year,” freshman Aguie Fainguersch said.

If all of the situations and scenarios were set and sturdy for that special Saturday night, one would be ready for the Columbus North formal! Lights, cameras, and a lot of dancing will surround everyone, as one would have the perfect school dance. May the FORMAL be with you!