From New Orleans to Nashville to Charleston, the fraternities at Auburn University have been to them all. Fraternity formals are the perfect opportunity for fraternity brothers and their dates to get out of Auburn for the weekend.

Blaire Wheelis, senior at Auburn, has been to five fraternity formals. She recently attended Fiji formal in New Orleans.

“My favorite part about formal is getting to go on an organized road trip with all of my friends”, said Wheelis.
“Even though most people are exhausted throughout the trip, the show must go on.”

Wheelis said the majority of the trip is spent walking around the city. She enjoys getting to eat and shop at different places. One of her favorite spots in New Orleans is Cafe Du Monde, an original French market coffee stand famous for its coffee and beignets.

“Every time I go to New Orleans for formal, I go to Cafe Du Monde,” said Wheelis. “It’s always fun to get a group of people to grab a table, order beignets and people watch.”

While these formals may be pricey for most college students, for them the cost is well worth the money spent. According to Fiji social chair, Brad Cink, the cost of formal this year was $475 per brother. Fiji plans their formals through Worldwide Travel in Northport, Ala. Cink said that planning well in advance in order to book an available weekend and then collecting payment early helps cut down on the price.

“Other than that, it's pretty simple,” said Cink. “Executing it and keeping up with 160 people on three buses is difficult but an empty threat of getting left behind keeps everyone on time.”

Fiji formal was held at The Bourbon View. The group stayed at the Astor Crown Plaza Hotel, located in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Each fraternity brother was given a hotel room key policy, cooler policy and itinerary for the weekend.

For most fraternities, the location of the formal depends upon the members’ preference each year. Price, location of the hotel and safety are all taken into account when making the decision.

Sigma Nu formal was held this past weekend in Charleston, S.C. After departing Auburn Friday afternoon on an eight-hour bus ride, the group was ready for a night out on the town. They stayed at the Renaissance Marriot. The cost was $450 per brother.

Farmhouse Fraternity will be traveling to Nashville, Tenn. on Feb. 18. The formal will be on a riverboat cruise dinner aboard the “General Jackson.” The price is approximately 325$ for each brother. The group will be staying at the Double Tree in downtown Nashville.

Formals are filled with lots of music, friends and, for some, embarrassing stories. According to Wheelis, “For most people, what happens at formal stays at formal.”

For more information on fraternity formals, visit http://www.auburn.edu/ifc/.



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