Opinion: It’s time to try a different winter dance
With attendance low at MORP, other dance options like a winter formal seem appealing
For the past couple of years, MCHS students have danced away their winter blues at MORP. But would a different winter dance format, like a winter formal, attract more dance-goers?
February 18, 2020
Since 2018, MCHS has switched from Turnabout to MORP. There are three dances total every year, including prom, Homecoming, and MORP. Unfortunately, the latter has lost its popularity among the student body, and brings in the fewest attendees among all major school dances year after year.
In my opinion, a winter formal would attract just about as many attendees as homecoming, and it could potentially become a winter tradition for years to come at MCHS. MORP is not a bad event, but it is obvious that the student body would like to see something new and more exciting to split the gap between homecoming and prom. With fewer attendees than any other dance, MORP has struggled to gain popularity with students, and it seems like an afterthought when compared to other dances.
MORP is held each year at East Campus, each year having a different theme. The theme is what makes MORP unique, as it dictates not only the way the gymnasium is decorated, but the outfits as well. For many students, this is a fun twist to the usual formal attire worn at Homecoming and prom, but in recent years many fewer people have attended MORP in comparison to Homecoming or prom.
Many schools choose to hold a winter formal instead of the traditional turnabout or MORP. The only difference is the attire is similar to homecoming, and the whole event is more formal than turnabout or MORP.
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In a recent poll conducted on the Mchenry Messenger website, we asked our readers which dance they would feel most excited to attend. The three choices were MORP, turnabout, or winter formal. Out of 28 votes, 96% chose winter formal, and 4% chose turnabout, with 0 votes for MORP. When asked why he chose winter formal, senior Nolan Krumsee said “Many people I know would go to MORP, but their main reason for not attending is that none of their friends will be there, and because of that, everyone I know stays home.” Though the sample size of the poll is relatively small, the clear favorite is winter formal with all of the votes except for one.
In addition to struggling to gain popularity, MORP doesn’t get the same attention because there isn’t anything for people on social media to brag about, there are no expensive outfits, or fancy dinners, or “MORPosals.” These things can get overwhelming, and annoying when all you see on social media is people asking each other to homecoming, but one thing social media does accomplish is promoting the event to a large majority of students. Unfortunately, MORP doesn’t cause as much of a social media frenzy, therefore students choose not to go.
Though some may argue that MORP is more fun because it’s less formal, and not as “mainstream”, the results of the poll prove that there are many people who want to see a different winter dance, and would be excited to attend a new dance.
