After the glow of the holidays has faded, there is not much to look forward to during the long, cold stretch of time between Jan. 1 and March 23, the first day of spring. Lake Central, however, adds some spice to the first of the three winter months of the New Year with its time-honored tradition of Winter Formal.

“I enjoyed Winter Formal—I love getting dressed up and dancing with everyone. It’s great to let loose and fun with your friends,” Senior Briana Belligio said.

Winter formal is open to seniors, juniors, sophomores accompanied by upperclassmen, and students from other schools accompanied by seniors. The opportunity is open to many, but the preparation can be costly. Belligio and her date, Senior Ed Hackman, spent roughly $465 totaled for their formal experience.

“Tickets cost $40, and will go on sale after school in the cafeteria on Jan. 11,” Mrs. Hasan, sponsor of N-Teens, the club which sponsors Winter Formal, said.

N-Teens has been planning this year’s Winter Formal for over a year.

“We reserve the hall [Halls of St. George in Schererville] about a year ahead, but we get really serious around October and November. We choose a photographer, choose the theme, and choose decorations,” Hasan said.

This year’s Winter Formal theme will be “Puttin’ on the Ritz.” Many girls will coordinate their dresses with the theme, and there are various places in the area for them to purchase their attire. Dresses by Debbie in Whiting is one.

“The price range on my dresses ranges from $100 to $450, and I would say the average price on a Winter Formal dress is about $200,” Debbie Manderino, owner of Dresses by Debbie and 30-year-veteran of the formal dress industry, said.

“This year I’ll sell over 100 dresses to Lake Central girls for Winter Formal; it’s one of my biggest schools.”

Although boys do not see Winter Formal as an event requiring tireless preparation (“I rented a tux, I got dressed, and I brushed my teeth,” senior Kyle Hanks said), the necessary attire requires some consideration.

“The price range of our tuxedo rentals range from $49 to $129. It’s a really wide price area, because we want to allow as many kids as possible to go to Winter Formal. We understand that there are some kids working at McDonald’s to pay for everything themselves, and then there are some kids whose parents pay for everything,” manager of Dunhill Tuxedos John Zandstra said.

Totaled, the costs of Winter Formal can seem quite high. But it does pay off.

“I had a great time, and I’m going to go back this year,” Lawrence said.

This year’s Winter Formal will take place on Jan. 27, and tickets can be purchased from Jan. 11 to Jan. 26.