Despite the pouring rain and dismally gray skies that graced the beginning of our evening, there was nothing that could stop the SPA from pulling off another fantastic gala. Our hair may not have kept the way that we wanted to, and we may have had to cover our beautiful dresses with bulky winter jackets, but that could not keep any of us from having a good time once we found ourselves under the mansion’s roof.

Knowlton mansion was such a beautiful venue to hold our gala. I think that the opulence of the house contributed to the theme of the over-the-top nature of the 1920’s. I liked having the opportunity to explore the upstairs of the mansion.  I guess my only critique would be the amount of stairs I had to climb in my first attempt of wearing heels. But maybe it’s my fault for wearing those 3 inch monsters.

I cannot describe to you the relief that I felt when I had the opportunity to take my shoes off and dance. The social acceptance of bare feet on that cold slate floor could have easily been the highlight of my night (like I said, I really don’t do heels).

Coming from a public high school background, I was not all too sure what to expect from the dancing that was introduced just last year to our campus. Being away last year for an athletic event left me unsure as to how Cairn would approach this new and uncharted territory. I thought that the music played would either be something out of a local church’s VBS curriculum, or we would end up needing Student Life staff to monitor the dance floor for any less-than-godly dancing. I was not sure that we would be able to strike a balance between the two.

I was pleasantly wrong.

The music selection throughout the evening was good. The music varied between old and new; Hannah Montana and the Jackson 5; songs that tell you how to dance and songs that leave it up to you. It stood as a reminder that music does not have to be hyper-sexualized or grossly immoral to be considered worthy dance music. And from what I observed, everyone managed to have a good time dancing without needing the chaperones of sweaty high school gymnasiums.

I personally think that the gala has only improved since we have removed dancing from the list of prohibited activities at the University. Dancing allows dinner to be a nice lead into the evening rather than the main event. At such an intense point of the academic semester, it was really nice to be able to relax, unwind, and dance the stress away with my fellow students.

Overall, I think that SPA did a great job at pulling off another successful gala. My only suggestion for the years to come would be to have more than one formal event a year so that all involved in music/athletic events have at least one opportunity to wear a pretty dress and heels (or maybe no heels. That’s a bright idea).