This year, Fort Hamilton hosted its first ever Junior Semi-Formal, a dance exclusively for the junior class. On April 25th, the doors of the Fort Hamilton Army Base opened to welcome a bevy of eleventh graders looking to enjoy themselves with friends and fellow classmates.
The path toward this event was not a straightforward one, as Leadership faced multiple challenges when organizing the event. First, there was the issue of finding a venue that could accommodate the number of people planning to attend. While regular dances like Homecoming are usually held in the school’s cafeteria, the organizers wanted to make sure that the semi-formal felt special and more upscale for the attendees, leading them to initially secure a reservation at the Dyker Heights Golf Course. When plans fell through with the original venue, the event’s organizers were left with a choice: abandon the project completely or find an alternative. After some deliberation, Leadership chose the latter, and the hard work paid off.
“I think everything was set up nicely, the food was good,” said Junior Senator Stamatis Karathomas, who thought the new location at the Fort Hamilton Army Base had a convivial and welcoming atmosphere that made the event enjoyable for students. This included having a professional DJ, decorations and a buffet with a vast array of choices (including vegetarian, halal and kosher dishes) for juniors to enjoy.
“There was a big variety; I saw a lot of options,” junior Alyse Boan said.
Juniors spent most of the evening on the floor, dancing to a series of both contemporary and classic pop songs.
“At first everyone was not sure if they wanted to go dance,” Karathomas said. “But by the end of the night everyone was dancing. I think they were dancing till the last minute of the dance. Then everyone forgot about the dessert that was being served.”
Although the turnout did not meet initial expectations, Boan said the number of students in attendance made the event more fun and less overwhelming.
“I got to have a little bit of space,” she said. “It was easier to see around me and there being less people unlocked a sense of space. I still loved it actually.”
The semi-formal ultimately proved successful, but Karathomas has more ambitious plans for the future. He is interested in increasing the turnout for next year, and he expressed an eager willingness to help the next junior senator to organize the dance. Until then, the junior class of Fort Hamilton will be able to remember a joyous night dedicated to them and all the hard work they have done.
