Clubs, Cruises Highlight Formals

Harvard students will bump, grind and swing at spring formals sponsored by the 12 undergraduate houses over the next few weeks.

The formals, which are being held at locations ranging from the Children's Museum to the dance club Europa, kicked off with the Adams House waltz, "The Mask of Red Death," last Saturday.

The waltz was held in the gothic comfort of the Adams House dining hall, but other houses have chosen more exotic locations.

"I have a lot of faith in the students here at Quincy. I think they will be pretty responsible. I don't think anyone will be falling off the boat," said Quincy House Committee Chair Candace M. Hom '96, when asked if she feared for the safety of house residents on board the Spirit of Boston, the site of their May 6 formal.

The Children's Museum in Boston will host both the Leverett (May 6) and Dunster (May 7) House formals this year. Guests from both groups will be entitled to explore the four levels of exhibits at the museum.

Students will be able to enjoy a open bar (Leverett's bar will be cashonly after 11 p.m.), refreshments, and a dance floor complete with a D.J. on the fourth floor of the museum.

Dunster House Committee Cochair Brett R. Conner '96 said that he feels the location is appropriate for Dunster House. "It sort of encompassed the spirit of our particular house committee, what we thought a formal should be--something out of the ordinary and a little bit fun."

Kirkland House students will hit Downtown Crossing in Boston, for their formal at the dance club Europa, tentatively scheduled for May 14.

The first floor of the club will be closed tothe public for the dance. Europa will provideKirkland residents and their guests with an openbar and an experienced club D.J., according toKirkland House Committee Treasurer Jason T. Peters'97.

Formals held off-campus can actually be lessexpensive than inhouse formals, student plannerssaid. Eliot House Committee.

Co-chair Benjamin F. Abbott '96 has estimated a$10,000 cost for their formal, to be held at Elioton May 11, and the price tag for the Mather Houseformal, scheduled for May 14 at Pound Hall, isroughly $6,000, according to house treasurer EricR. Losick '97.

In contrast, Peters said yesterday that heexpects $4,400 in final costs for the Kirklandformal. The bill for the Dunster formal will be anestimated $5,500, Conner said.

"When we looked into the house option, we sawthat it was going to be more expensive, probably acouple of thousand dollars more," said Peters. "Ifelt that that we were going to get less formore."

Other house committee members said that thebenefits of an in-house formal outweigh the costs.Eliot and Winthrop will both have a spring fete attheir respective houses. Both will have an outdoorswing band and dance floor outside, and a D.J.indoors in the dining hall.

"Setting up a swing band and the dance floor inthe courtyard is really expensive," said Abbott,"but people really like it so we keep doing it. Ithas been here as long as I can remember."

Adams House was also true to its tradition thisyear, sponsoring an in-house spring waltz. Theformal, styled after the Edgar Allan Poe story"The Mask of the Red Death," was held in the AdamsDinning Hall on April 22

The first floor of the club will be closed tothe public for the dance. Europa will provideKirkland residents and their guests with an openbar and an experienced club D.J., according toKirkland House Committee Treasurer Jason T. Peters'97.

Formals held off-campus can actually be lessexpensive than inhouse formals, student plannerssaid. Eliot House Committee.

Co-chair Benjamin F. Abbott '96 has estimated a$10,000 cost for their formal, to be held at Elioton May 11, and the price tag for the Mather Houseformal, scheduled for May 14 at Pound Hall, isroughly $6,000, according to house treasurer EricR. Losick '97.

In contrast, Peters said yesterday that heexpects $4,400 in final costs for the Kirklandformal. The bill for the Dunster formal will be anestimated $5,500, Conner said.

"When we looked into the house option, we sawthat it was going to be more expensive, probably acouple of thousand dollars more," said Peters. "Ifelt that that we were going to get less formore."

Other house committee members said that thebenefits of an in-house formal outweigh the costs.Eliot and Winthrop will both have a spring fete attheir respective houses. Both will have an outdoorswing band and dance floor outside, and a D.J.indoors in the dining hall.

"Setting up a swing band and the dance floor inthe courtyard is really expensive," said Abbott,"but people really like it so we keep doing it. Ithas been here as long as I can remember."

Adams House was also true to its tradition thisyear, sponsoring an in-house spring waltz. Theformal, styled after the Edgar Allan Poe story"The Mask of the Red Death," was held in the AdamsDinning Hall on April 22