Last Friday, Feb. 7 marked the much anticipated Winter Gala, hosted in a decked-out Connelly Center and giving the student body an opportunity to show up and show out. The gala mirrored a winter wonderland scene with icy trees around the dance floor in the Villanova Room, snowflakes hanging from the ceiling, an ice sculpture near Belle Aire Terrace and blue lights everywhere.
Students were already looking forward to this event early Friday afternoon, as the Connelly Center closed at 1:30 p.m. in order to prepare. Although this meant Café Nova was more crowded than normal with the main student center out of commission, the finished product was well worth any amount of disgruntled mumbling.
Students began arriving at the Gala just before 9 p.m. and were greeted not only with wonderful decorations, but with all kinds of refreshments, as well. From the hors d’oeuvres served by the cinema to the much-talked about sushi and boba tables in the tent, there was plenty to be excited about. The gala also included the not-so-small feat of turning Belle Aire Terrace into a full dessert bar. The first hour started slowly as students filed in and got food, socializing around the tables scattered throughout the building. As the night went on, the Connelly Center filled up with students and the dance floor became more lively.
“The gala was a lot more fun than I was expecting,” sophomore Lexie Scibilia said. “The music was great, the food was amazing and everyone looked so good.”
Many students definitely pulled out all the stops for this night. The fashion was wonderful, and true to the theme (and to Villanova), there was a lot of blue. Another fixture of the night, the wealth of photo ops available were the perfect way to capture everybody at their best. From the 360-camera set up by a curtained-off Connvenience Store to the near-perfect lighting in front of the ice sculpture, the gala is sure to be a well-photographed and well-remembered night.
“Villanova really went all out for the gala this year, including a variety of food and desserts, like boba and sushi,” sophomore Lillian Cruz-Garcia said. “Not to mention the beautiful way they decorated the Villanova Room where everyone was dancing with friends.”
The sentiment of the University going “all out” for this year’s gala was a common one among attendees, who were excited to see the improvements, as well as a larger crowd forming for the event.
“I definitely think more people went this year than last year,” sophomore Abby Contessa said. “I liked that there were different things to do, like they had the dance floor, the food and the gambling tables upstairs.”
The gambling tables may have come as a surprise to gala-goers, but just upstairs in the Connelly Center Art Gallery were several poker tables where students could go play (without any real stake in the game).
Toward the end of the night, one of the most exciting upgrades for this year’s gala was unveiled. Dining services began setting out happy meal-style boxes at tables by the ice sculpture. With a tiny cheeseburger, fries and a stuffed toy to boot, this was the perfect way to end a wonderfully planned and executed night.
The Winter Gala brings together students all across campus and grade levels for a night of fun every year, and this year it only got better as students soaked in the environment, food and party favors.
