Forgetting about academics for a night and nurturing one’s social side were the priorities for a night of fun Jan. 28, as more than 350 students, faculty and staff from Cleveland Chiropractic College attended its annual Winter Formal. Held at the Sheraton Crown Center on the Plaza, the theme for this year’s event was “Winter Wonderland.” And with unseasonably warm temperatures, there seemed to be more winter inside the venue than out.
As one of the biggest social outings of the year, formal is a favorite of many Clevelanders, and this year was no different. The festivities began at 6 p.m. with cocktails and dinner. Guests had a choice of meal options that included steak and chicken, salmon and shrimp or vegetarian fare. Salad, bread, potato, a vegetable and dessert completed the meal. Later there was an awards ceremony followed by dancing until late in the evening.
The night is a massive undertaking to plan and execute, especially for a current CCC student. Rachel Viner, Student Council social chair, coordinated the event. She felt it was an important task, not just because of what it was, but because it was for her peers.
“This event is for the students at Cleveland,” Viner said. “It is to give back to them, providing a night to relax for all the hard work they do all year. It’s a night to come together, not just individual tris, but as a student body as a whole.”
Viner said she was pleased with many aspects of the night, saying she was proud of how everything came together. But, even with the decorations, food and the music, she admitted that most of the favorable comments she received were about the photo booth. Although it was a new addition to Winter Formal, it was most certainly the star of the night.
“It was so much fun to get together with friends from school and have fun pictures taken,” Viner said. “And everyone got a copy of the pictures when they got out of the booth. It was a blast and I would totally want to have another one next year.”
Jalonna Bowie, director of Student Services, felt the evening was a good opportunity to experience the students in a somewhat different light, without the stress of tests and class work.
“It was a lovely evening,” Bowie said. “It’s always so fun to see students dressed up, relaxed and having good time.”
The awards segment was a popular part of the evening. Five honors were presented, including “Clinician of the Year,” Dr. Deborah Denno; “Intern of the Year,” Dan Bachler; “Club of the Year,” Federation 4 Chiropractic Progress; “Instructor of the Year,” Dr. Geracimo Bracho and “Department of the Year,” CCC Bookstore.
