In this blog, I am going to explain what is meant by the term ‘formal’ at Durham and hopefully give you an idea of what to expect if you have never attended one before.
Formals are special dinners that take place at your college, often with a particular theme. They can vary a little between colleges. For example, at Josephine Butler our formal dinners tend to be gowned, unless there is an exception for fancy dress. This means that we are required to wear our black gowns at all times during the dinner. However, other colleges do not share this tradition and are referred to as un-gowned colleges.
How often formals take place is also dependent upon the college you go to. At Josephine Butler, we have formals every other week during term time. You can sign up in groups, or alone, and even bring friends from other colleges or guests from outside the university. Our formals cost around £13 (if you are a JCR member) which includes the dinner, usually a two or three course meal and any entertainment that takes place throughout the night. Formals tend to have a seating plan too, so be sure to look at that in advance or before you sit down, to avoid having to awkwardly change seats.
A lot of college formals are themed. We have had a Halloween formal, Festive formal, Murder Mystery formal, a Burns Night formal and so many more throughout the year. The Murder Mystery formal even includes a live performance! They are all great opportunities to dress up and hang out with your friends, who you might not see as often as those on your course. We also have an annual event at Butler called the Colours Formal, which happens at the end of the academic year and is invite only. The Colours Formal celebrates students who have gone above and beyond in their contribution to college life throughout the year.
Some colleges even have particular rules to adhere to throughout the formal such as banning the use of mobile phones and standing for the high table as they enter. High table is normally where college staff like the Principal and JCR President sit.
Regardless of your college, formals are always really fun events to experience, at least once, whilst at Durham. Hopefully, this gives you a little insight into what formals could be like with the collegiate system.
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