Classic New England Coastal Charm at Freshman Spring Dance

Welcoming the spring, the Thomas Aquinas College, New England, Freshman Class organized its first dance for the College last Saturday, bringing a beachy atmosphere with a “Cape Cod” theme.

On the night of the dance, partygoers were greeted with a rustic, boardwalk-like entry to St. Frassati Student Center, complete with an “Entering Cape Cod” street sign, a bonfire surrounded by Adirondack chairs, and cornhole set out on the lawn. Inside, the Student Center was overhung with white banners and bunting, twinkle lights, and ambient paper lanterns. The refreshment tables were white-masted sailboats loaded with a cargo of cod dip and chips, lemonade, cakes and fruit, all spotlighted by a seven-foot lighthouse. Surrounding the refreshments were tables for the guests, decked with hydrangeas, candles, and seashells. 

Arrayed in coastal-chic linens and breezy pastels, the students gathered for the first event of the night: the class entertainment. The freshmen hosted a game show called Who’s That John, featuring impersonators of the four well-known — and very different — Johns of the Freshman Class as subjects for quippy questions. Afterward, the dancing began and students enjoyed swing and foxtrot to soft yacht rock and golden oldies. A few hours in, the freshmen held a limbo competition where, after a hard-fought battle, Nicolas Metilly (NE’29) finally emerged victorious. 

As the last dance of the year, the “Night on the Cape” was an enjoyable finale. Students chatted around the tables and in the white beach chairs over lemonade and frozen coffee, played cards and cornhole, danced, and relaxed by the fire. Sebastiano Egan (NE’27), an upper-East Coast denizen familiar with the Cape, said he’d “never felt more at home,” while Logan Bermudez-Lizardi (NE’29) agreed: “Everything was a hit — food, decorations, entertainment — all spot-on.”

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