Amidst a busy period of tests, papers, and the daunting thought of February exams nearing, students were excited for the return of one of Community Council’s most popular events: the Snowball.

This was the third year that this school-wide dance took place, and Council worked hard to prepare this “fan favorite” for Saturday, February 6 after several complications with the timing and place. This year was the first year that Council assigned the event a theme, a creative theme of fire and ice, appropriate given the delays due to snowstorms (and later a painting project in the PAC). This was one of several new and exciting changes to the Snowball this year, despite its status as a young school tradition.

Behind the scenes, Council divided up into different committees in anticipation of the Snowball, preparing various aspects of the dance to ensure that it ran smoothly and was especially fun. They decided that to make this year’s event unique it would be interesting to pick a theme for the dance: “When the decorations committee met for the first time we thought it would be cool to have a theme since this will be the third year of Snowball, and we thought it would be nice to switch it up,” said senior Julia Stevenson, a member of Community Council’s decorations committee. This theme could be seen in the blue and red balloons and decorations that brightened up the PAC.  

This event continued to be a favorite amongst the student body which now seems like part of school tradition. According to students, it has been so successful because of its community oriented nature and spirit along with the well-deserved break it provides during the winter months.

“I am really excited for Snowball because it’s another way for the Hackley Upper School community to get together and have fun during a long second trimester prior to exams,” said senior Lindsay Schechter in anticipation of the event.

For many students, Snowball provided a chance for people to bond with friends, a break that they might not otherwise have given the demanding workload towards the middle of the school year. It is also unique as it is the only school dance open to the entire Upper School and provides a special opportunity for underclassmen and upperclassmen to be in a fun and relaxed environment together. According to Julia, this is one of the principal values in organizing the Snowball. “I think that it’s fun that every grade gets to come…and it’s a fun community event before exams start,” she said.

Senior Grace Carroll shared similar thoughts after attending the event this year: “I think it was a great way for the entire Upper School to be together as a community in a more relaxed setting than usual.”  

Given the big turnout this year it seemed as though the numerous colorful posters that had hung around the school were the first of a successful effort to use the Snowball to heighten Hackley spirit. The excitement and large participation at the event seemed to reinforce the idea of fostering spirit around the school. “It’s great how Snowball and Coffeehouse happen around the same time each year because each event highlights how awesome the Hackley community is and how great Council [is],” said Lindsay. According to several students, they enjoy events like these because it allows the community to appreciate the hard work of many clubs and organizations around school who may not otherwise be regularly recognized.

 While sophomores, juniors, and seniors enjoyed coming to this event for their second or third times and seeing how it differed from those in the past, the freshman were particularly enthusiastic to be a part of this great Hackley event. “The Snowball was lots of fun! I think that the freshmen who went all really enjoyed it and had a good time. It was my first snowball, and I had so much fun,” said freshman Lauren Shapiro, an excited guest experiencing the Snowball scene for her first time along with many others from her grade.

The Hackley community was very excited to attend this year’s Snowball, shown in the copious numbers of attendees, and eagerly awaits the hopeful return of Snowball next year.