On the evening of 26 May, a queue formed outside the doors of Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute. The line stretched from the soon-to-be-opened doors, filled with hundreds of students dressed in their most elegant attire. Anticipation filled the air as the attendees excitedly awaited a glamorous night.

As the doors were pulled back at promptly 6:30 pm, a scene straight out of Hollywood was revealed. The galleria had transformed from a hallway in a Toronto high school to a mini Met Gala. The walls were lined with balloons and sparkly gold streamers, the floor draped in a luxurious red carpet. A photo booth had even been set up on the red carpet for students to live out their paparazzi photoshoot dreams.

After having their tickets checked at the front, students entered the main venue, the cafeteria, which had been reconfigured into a large dance floor surrounded by elegantly draped tables, each delicately arranged with candles and roses. Alexander Zhang, a member of the decorating committee, remarked, “The whole thing was a blast! It was really rewarding to see all our hard work come together,” when prompted about the decorating process.

The night began with a rock performance by Mismatch Band, created by MGCI’s own students —follow them on Instagram @mismatchband! This live opening act was enjoyed alongside a spread of appetizers, ranging from delicious mini lemon cakes to trays of bruschetta. Iced tea and lemonades were served to cool off students from a rigorous night of dancing. 

After the doors closed at 7:30, the real party began. A hired DJ hyped up the crowd with One Direction, Ice Spice, and more. There wasn’t a dull moment on the dance floor, from the chaperones’ cool moves to huge student dance circles.

Dinner was served at 8:30 pm, consisting of a variety of pizzas, fried shrimp, cheesy baguettes, and a selection of sodas. If you weren’t stuffed enough, a vanilla cake was offered for dessert. 

Activity options included eating and chatting with friends, partying it up on the dance floor, or enjoying the photoshoot opportunities. Grade 9 attendee Veronica Davey-Young commented that “the food was great” and that “the photo booths were the best part,” when asked about her experience at the event.

Perhaps the most incredible part of this event is that it was brought to MGCI students for just $15 per ticket, and $12 for early birds. “My goal while organizing spring formal was to make it the most accessible ticket for students, while also delivering a high-quality evening,” said Paromita Roy, president of the Student Activity Council and a key organizer in the event. “I want to especially shout out Zahra for the decorations[.] Many people exclaimed that our cafeteria looked like an actual venue, and she’s majorly to credit for that magic. Every single aspect of spring formal—from the food trays to the flower vases, was the product of crazy time, effort, and dedication from everyone involved. There were a few bumps along the way, and at one point it even looked like we might not be running any type of formal, but the reason I pushed very hard for this was because I truly believed in the vision. Now, seeing what we were able to achieve, I know I made the right choice.” 

And what a good choice it was… we have the hard work of all the organizers and teacher supervisors to thank for this amazing feat. As a result of their dedication, this key high school experience was made accessible to all MGCI students. On behalf of all the attendees, thank you for all the memories you’ve made for us!