For the first time ever, Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (DPMHS) may get to experience their first school-wide dance outside of the MPR.

The dance will be held on Dec.13 at 6 p.m. at the Olympia Banquet Hall located on 16922 Sherman Way in Van Nuys. All grades are invited to join. Associated Student Body (ASB) is close to finalizing funds, DJ, decor and approval to have a dance outside of the MPR.

Senior and Managing Editor for The Pearl Post Rudraj Koppikar and is in charge of planning the dance. He wants students to have the opportunity of having their very own independent formal school dance.  

“We wanted something that makes it feel like a big school,” Koppikar said.

ASB plans on spending between $1,000 to $5,500 on the event itself. Five hundred dollars will be spent on the DJ and the rest for the cost of the hall. The hall will provide decorations, food, as well as security, but for the dance to be official, ASB needs permission from LAUSD Risk Management.

Tickets will be sold to help fund the dance for $35 in the Student Store. As time goes by, the price will increase but tickets will stop being sold 10 days before the dance.

“This would be the first official formal,” Treasurer David Eskichyan said. “(In the past, if ASB and the school) ever tried to have a school-wide dance, it’s been in the MPR, so (ASB) pushed them to step outside of the MPR.”

A poll on Schoology was sent out on Oct. 17 to students on whether they would attend the winter formal. Over half of the votes were “Yes” meaning they would attend, which gives ASB assurance that the event might actually happen. Yet, the dance is planned to take place on the last day of finals, as it’s the cheapest option.

“Having dances on Fridays and Saturdays are so much more expensive,” ASB advisor and leadership teacher Jennifer Walker said. “We really wanted to keep the cost low enough to make people be able to go, but also have it nice.

It’s all up to paperwork, funds and ticket sales to finalize DPMHS very first school-wide dance outside of school.

“There’s always a slight possibility that it’s not going to happen, so far ASB has been on board,” Koppikar said. “I’m pretty sure this can happen and I’m pretty sure we can break even on costs.”