Penn High Schools winter formal, Snowball, is hosted every year, and most students plan to attend at least once in the 4 years they attend Penn. But who plans the event? How is it done? An interview with Jessica Saros, the PTO President, told us what goes on behind the scenes of Snowball.
PNN Reporter Harley Kent asked her “Who plans the event(s)?” She responded “The event takes an incredible amount of time and creativity to pull it all together. It takes the support of the administration, athletics, custodial staff, security, parents, and volunteers, as well as partnerships with area vendors to bring the event to life. We are so thankful for every person that helps with this event either through volunteering time, providing generous discounts for services, donating goods/services, or simply supporting the event. An event of this caliber is something that students may not normally get to experience, so it is very rewarding to see the faces of students light up as they enter the dance each year. Watching them take in all the beauty and elements that have transformed the arena and balconies, as well as seeing them dance all night long make the countless hours put into this event worth every minute.”
When asked “How do you get the theme(s) of Snowball and other events?” she stated “Every year, as the snowball chairs, my husband Shawn and I work on coming up with a theme that we feel students will enjoy and that we can use to transform the arena and balcony areas. It has been an amazing experience to use what we do every day in our business and bring it to Penn High School for students to experience. This is our 9th year chairing this event and it is something we look forward to each year.”
The dance’s date varies every year and is usually in the months of January or February. This year it was January 15th, 2023. When Mrs.Saros was asked “How early do you start planning these event(s)?” her response to the question was “One thing students should know is that so much heart, passion, and time goes into making this event an unforgettable one that will have lasting memories they will take with them forever. We are very grateful to Penn High School and Penn PTO for their continued support to keep bringing new themes to snowball every year! As soon as snowball is over, we have a recap meeting to see what has gone well and what we need to improve on the following year. One of the key things is receiving feedback from students. For example, several years ago we set it up that students would be the ones selecting music for the event so that the dance would reflect requests the students pick themselves. In a school this large it is hard to ensure everyone is happy with everything, but by allowing students to select and dance to music they enjoy is one simple way we can give students input on making the night an amazing one.”
Penn’s 2023 Snowball was another amazing addition to the annual tradition. With sold-out tickets and amazing music, it sure was a night to remember. For PNN, reporters Emerald Andrews, Harley Kent, and CJ Vantine.
Natalia Kelman 
Melinda Kiner 
Diego Sotelo Gonzalez