This year Paly will hold its first Winter Formal dance on Friday, Feb. 3 as a benefit to aid victims of genocide in Sudan.

Decoration and food arrangements are currently under way. The planning committee is trying to coordinate for The Prolific Oven to cater the event. As usual, Paly’s sound system will most probably be providing the musical entertainment.

The dance, however, will retain its formal aspects. The dress code will be strictly enforced; people will be turned away if they are not wearing appropriate clothing. Guys are expected to wear button-down shirts and nice pants while girls will most likely wear dresses or skirts.

“It’s going to be fancy,” said student body president Anique Drumright, who heads the planning committee. “Other than prom, it’s the only formal dance we have at Paly. Absolutely no jeans will be allowed!”

The dance is to be hosted in Paly’s large gym, and all the proceeds will go to Doctors Without Borders, an independent medical humanitarian organization that provides emergency aid to more than 70 countries.

According to the planning committee, the money raised at the dance will be specifically donated to fund Doctors Without Borders’s project in Darfur, Sudan.

Many humanitarian websites confirm that victims of genocide, a term referring to the premeditated destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group, presently rely on food assistance and medical care from associations such as Doctors Without Borders.

“We want the event to be a success, but we mainly want Paly to be more aware of the problems in the world,” Drumright said. “It’s our goal to make the information more available.”

According to the Doctors Without Borders Website, an ongoing civil war between the government of Sudan and southern rebels has spanned 20 years and forced millions of civilians to flee their homes. Government-backed militias have carried out a reign of terror in Darfur, the western region of Sudan. Over two million people have been displaced as a result of the unending violence. The website also states that humanitarians working in Darfur must deal with high rates of disease and sexual abuse among the victims they treat.

In addition to the dance, the planning committee has scheduled a series of speakers for Jan. 6, 14 and 27, during which specialists will come to the Social Studies Research Center (SSRC) during lunch to discuss eminent issues. According to committee member Tara Haghighi, the committee is also looking to see if it can persuade social science teachers to assign extra credit as an incentive for students to attend the lectures.

“We mainly want to spread the word about how we as individuals can help out,” Drumright said.

The planning committee, which is affiliated with the Student Council, decided to organize the event after many clubs and students suggested the idea last year.

“A lot of [clubs] wanted to host it, but nobody got anything going,” Drumright said. “We want to start a tradition here at Paly. Hopefully this is the first of many!”

Although the committee, which is comprised of a relatively small number of students, is supervised by social science teacher Maureen McCorry, the students themselves are almost completely running the show.

“They [the students] conceptualized it and started with their own vision,” said McCorry. “It [the event] is their baby; I just offer a few bits of advice here and there.”

Tickets for the Winter Formal, priced at $20, will be on sale in the auditor’s office from Jan. 23 — 27. For more information about Sudan’s genocide, visit http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/sudan.cfm.