Dodgeball, royalty and dancing- just some of the exciting events that happen during Winterfest Week at Albert Lea High School. What more could a student ask for?
      Winterfest Week at Albert Lea High School is basically a week for students to have fun and take a break from school. Students can participate in a number of activities, and even if they choose not to attend the dance or play dodgeball, they still get to vote for Winterfest Royalty.
      Students vote for three boys and three girls in their grade to be nominated for winterfest royalty. The girls and boys in each grade with the most votes are declared royalty, and the single boy and girl with the most votes are pronounced the winners at the dance Saturday night.
      The music for the dance will be provided by Uptown Sound, the same DJ who did the Senior dance. The dance is semi-formal, not as formal as prom.
    “It’s a formal dance,” said junior Macy Paul. “Students should look nice.”

So for those freshmen who aren’t sure what to wear, girls should wear short dresses, usually around knee-length. Boys, wear dress pants, like khakis, and a polo or button up shirt. Some guys even go so far as to wear a tie.

      Before students worry about the dance, though, the dodgeball tournament is sure to be all sorts of fun. Students form their own teams of five players and come up with their own team name. Usually the teams make some sort of uniform, such as matching T-shirts. Teams compete in a bracket style tournament to see which team rules all.

Paul is Student Council vice president, and she helps to plan Winterfest Week. The members on Student Council try to make sure every student has something to do. Those who aren’t on a dodgeball team can either watch the tournament or head up to the commons to play video games or watch a movie.

      “Competing against upperclassmen in the tournament is really fun,” said Paul.
             Not only will there be fun activities throughout the week, there will also be a pep fest to announce how winter sports seasons are going and to encourage fans to come watch. During the pep fest, the Winterfest Royalty will compete in a friendly competition, much like the candidates during homecoming.
    “Seeing the royalty compete against each other is one of my favorite parts of the week,” Paul said.
      Winterfest Week is full of fun activities, and the more students participate the more fun everyone has.