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Thursday, March 28, 2024
The Observer

Difficulties with venue lead to cancellation of formal

The annual Saint Mary's All School Formal has been cancelled because of venue problems, according to Residence Hall Association president Shay Jolly. The formal was supposed to have occurred Feb. 21, but was cancelled three weeks before the dance. Jolly said because of the late cancellation, there was not enough time to rearrange the already-planned dance. "With the dance being only two weeks away, and with Little Sibs weekend being this past weekend, we didn't have the time or the resources to create a fun dance that our students deserve," Jolly said. "We want to assure students that we checked into other venues in the area, we checked everywhere we could, but nothing was available that would fit our needs."Two weeks ago, Saint Mary's students received two e-mails regarding the cancellation of the dance. The e-mails stated that the dance had been cancelled due to a problem with the location, and said that all venues within a 45-mile radius had been consulted. The e-mails also assured students that an alternate activity was being planned for later in the semester."We are going to rectify the situation," Jolly said. "We're planning an event for later in the semester. Whether it's going to be an All School Formal or another event, I can't say yet, but that information should be released by the end of this week."The event will most likely take place in March, Jolly said.The All School Formal has occurred in the past at such locations as The Century Center and Coveleski Stadium. The location of this year's dance was not released.Despite the explanations, some students said they are saddened by the cancellation of the dance.Sophomore Francesca Muscarello said she was disappointed, but recognizes that it is out of RHA's control."While the cancellation is a disappointment to all of us, people need to realize that the reasons for the cancellation were out of our control," Muscarello said. "Placing the blame upon those in charge is futile. I have confidence that the people in charge will do their best to redeem the unfortunate situation."Jolly said she understood that some students had to change their plans due to the cancellation, but she also said has not received an overwhelming number of negative emails."We did receive e-mails and complaints from some girls who already had dresses, or whose boyfriends had non-refundable plane tickets, but it was no one's fault that the dance got cancelled," said Jolly. "Overall, the feedback I've gotten has been very positive, and a lot of people have commented on how well we handled the situation."