In anticipation of the Winter Formal on Feb. 17, many students continued a classic high school tradition: Winter Formal posters. Dance proposal posters have been a wholesome and clever way of asking somebody to a school dance. As a result, some students spend time crafting a poster that will resonate with their date by utilizing relevant puns and artwork.

One common choice is centering the theme of the poster around a shared hobby. Senior Iris Dou, for example, designed the poster focusing on the videogame “League of Legends,” which is where she first became friends with her date.

“Basing the poster off of the game was simultaneously a throwback to how we first became friends and a testament to . . . being a team,” Dou said.

Of course, others may choose to craft their poster with the theme of the dance in mind. As the Winter Formal theme was Studio Ghibli films, some students, like senior Miyako Kato, created a poster surrounding Ghibli characters.

“I chose the pun for our poster based on the characters my boyfriend [and I] decided to go as, which was the susuwatari from the Studio Ghibli film, ‘Spirited Away,’” Kato said.

The specific materials used for the posters are also not to be overlooked as they contribute to the outcome of the artwork.

“I used poster paper, brush pens and a pencil to sketch out the design,” Kato said.

These design choices, when capitalized on, can result in a special, personalized poster. Aside from design choices, the time commitment for the posters also varies depending on a student’s schedule. Some students will be able to ponder over the details of their posters.

“I believe it took at least two hours for me to make the poster,” Kato said. “I wanted to make it look really nice and also did all of it by hand.”

Others, however, may face stricter time restrictions, leading students to adapt. 

“[Making the poster took] 15 minutes because I did it [on] the morning on Valentine’s Day and had to get to school,” Dou said.

In the end, all the posters serve as an amusing way of asking someone to a school dance. By tailoring the design to something relevant and meaningful, the poster can serve as a testament to a student and their date’s relationship while strengthening the relationship in the process.