Red and Whites is a historically popular event, with seniors flocking together decked out in red and white formalwear on Feb. 3 at the Stamford Marriott Hotel. A dynamic seems to have shifted this year, however, with a lack of enthusiasm, as reflected by poor ticket sales, and the need to push back the deadline to hopefully attract more interest.
“I find it kind of dumb to spend all that money on tickets, buy a dress, pay for a party bus and pitch in with whoever is taking photos, it’s a lot,” Mia Lewis ’25 said. “It’s honestly not even worth it when everyone tells me that the dance is pretty boring.”
There’s a variety of reasons that seniors seem to be avoiding Red and Whites, but price seems to be the most prominent of them.
“I don’t really like the culture of Red and Whites,” Corbin Chaney ’25 said. “[All the] dressing up, it’s a really ‘Fairfield County’ type of thing […] it’s too posh.”
Not all seniors feel this way, of course, with many still harboring excitement for the event. Many have positive outlooks on events such as Red and Whites, seeing it as a fun reason to get out.
“I’m excited for Red and Whites because I really like dressing up, and I have friends in Wilton and Weston that I don’t see often,” Kayla Damiano ’25 said. “This is a fun opportunity to see them, as well as have a fun time with my friends.”
While it has its perks, Red and Whites certainly isn’t for everyone. The process can be stressful, not to mention costly, for anyone attending.
“For me, going to Prom is enough,” Chaney said.
