Students often do not realize what it takes to prepare for Forthcoming, but ASB worked diligently behind the scenes to create a memorable dance in the Student Union. What really happened during the weeks leading up to Oct. 6?

Months before Forthcoming, ASB co-director Sarah Dean and sophomore ASB president Liz Moerman brainstormed and decided the Forthcoming theme. From there, ASB discussed creative ideas to attract more students to attend the dance.

“As soon as I got elected, Ms. Dean and I started working on Forthcoming ideas for next year. Right away, she and I thought of ‘places,’ and we thought that it would be so cool because different houses get different places, and we can do different things with that,” Moerman said.

Two weeks before the dance, ASB authorized the shopping list of decorations, such as foam glow sticks and prizes for Spirit Week. The publicity team, composed of sophomores Allison Shi, Kaylee Seo, Haley Truong and Ana Komarlu, worked to promote school spirit for both the pep rally and Forthcoming dance.

“We handed out dance contracts to people so that they didn’t have to go to the office.  We also collaborated with video production to make sure that people knew about the event,” Seo said.

On the day of the dance, ASB members arrived an hour early to help set up tables, decorate the Union and ensure that the dance ran smoothly. The food was also brought at this time by ASB co-directors Dean and Emily Sheridan.

“So [ASB has] been making sure that everything that we’ve bought and everything that we’re using for the dance today is in the right place at the right time,” Hercules house president Anthony Lu said. “We’re also just preparing and making sure that everybody else is ready, and they know what they’re going to be doing for the dance.”

Ten minutes before students begin entering the Student Union, ASB members dim the lights and welcome attendees with a foam glow stick.