Picture this: You are a Harvard student sitting in your dorm, post-everything shower, in formal attire and dress shoes. This time, to your surprise, you actually do have plans, albeit arranged by the First-Year Social Committee (FYSC)—the First-Year Formal. A Great Gatsby themed endeavor, the Committee transported students back a century as they draped Annenberg Hall in gold and black. Assisted by a DJ and platters stacked with fan-favorite grilled cheese, first-years danced the night away to their favorite hits and lived out their Daisy Buchanan dreams. By most accounts, it was a successful attempt—first-years seemed to enjoy this unique opportunity for class bonding. However, one theme permeated the night: attendance was lacking.
In the week leading up to the event, a prominent question loomed over the Class of 2027 —and no, it was not “where are we pregaming?” Curious first-years, especially those with older siblings or friends with intel, wondered why the FYSC would choose to hold such an event in what seems to be a first-year frequenter, their dining hall.
Wyatt Croog ’27, a member of the FYSC, recalled that “the First-Year Social Committee, in conjunction with the College, chose to hold the Gatsby First-Year Formal in Annenberg because it was something we had never attempted to do before—it was uncharted territory. Usually the event is held in off-campus venues, yet we thought Annenberg, a bougie venue, would be a great fit for a theme that highlights extravagance and lavishness.”
Croog continued: “We originally had set the date for early December, before exams, but due to logistical reasons and the increasing pre-exam stress across the first-year class, we decided to move the formal to after winter recess. We only had a few dates to choose from, and hosting it on the night of the 23rd, a Friday, felt right and like something Gatsby himself would do.”
However, while the decision might have seemed seamless to the Committee, the first-years were not too persuaded by the time and place. “I was honestly confused when I learned that the formal would be held in Berg,” Saanvi Malkani ’27 reflected. “Especially since it was held outside and later in the semester in previous years—the location made it seem like less of a ‘formal’.”
While Annenberg Hall is certainly a memorable Harvard landmark, with its stained-glass windows and Hogwarts-esque aura, it is also arguably the only space that every first-year visits daily. Being such a frequented place, it might have benefited the formal’s attendance to consider locations that are less visited to give students an excuse to take a break from the Harvard bubble.
Olivia Zhang ’27, who opted not to attend, said, “I think I would’ve been more keen on going if it was off-campus. It would’ve felt like more of an event.”
Interestingly enough, the decision to hold it at Annenberg in February is not a traditional one. Two years ago, the First-Year Formal was held at the Science Center Plaza in May. Holding it later in the semester, like during the beginning of finals season, and outside might have been more appealing for students looking for one last hurrah during their first year.
This mid-semester event held at the dining hall, on the other hand, was far less enticing. With midterms and spring break approaching and the absence of a reading period, first-years are more stressed than ever. “It was just awkwardly placed. Maybe I would’ve considered going if I didn’t have homework and midterms looming on the horizon, but I also would’ve been more compelled to go if they had a formal dress code and people did their own version of ‘promposals’ to ask dates to the event,” Zhang explained. “That would’ve brought a level of humor and anticipation to it and made it more appealing to the entirety of the freshman class.”
That intraclass bonding is a lost phenomenon when it comes to Harvard social life, which is dominated by finding a friend group and spending weekends hanging out exclusively with them. Rarely can people find one event where their entire class is almost guaranteed to attend, so being able to meet and socialize with different kinds of people in a formal event with their class is a luxury—one that has not been accomplished since Convocation.
With the diverse social lives and interests of the Class of 2027, it would benefit us to have an event that everyone could look forward to attending—but with the placement and location of the event, many found themselves unenticed to abandon their traditional Friday night plans of DoorDashing dinner and curling up on their common room couches to watch a movie with friends. So, what should next year’s social committee do to make sure they rope in all the members of the next great class? Move it off-campus and right before finals. Only then, maybe, would I have been willing to cash in my $20.
Emily Pallan ’27 (emilypallan@college.harvard.edu) only attended the First-Year Formal to write this article.