40 Things to Know: We dance

Many families have deep traditions that make for memories and lifelong connections. Our college is no exception.

On Saturday, Jan. 9, students from all three Heritage College campuses gathered in Athens for the high-gloss Heritage Ball, also known as the HCOM Prom. Sponsored by the Family Practice Club/Student Association of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians, this annual event means it’s time for students, faculty and staff to brush off the formal wear and join in the Nae Nae.

Dancing is nothing new for us. Back in the early 1980s, our students celebrated with their classmates during the annual Champagne Dinner. By the 1990s, the Family Practice Banquet gave students a reason to pull out their dance shoes. And in the 2000s, the banquet, which began as a modest sit-down dinner with guest speaker, evolved into today’s gala.

Memories aren’t just made in the classroom. Here they’re made on the dance floor, a football field and the stage in Irvine 194. The Heritage Ball is just one example of the many events our students have initiated over the last 40 years as ways to enjoy time outside the lecture hall with their classmates, families, faculty and staff. Our students develop friendships that remain long after graduation.

With the opening of our two new campuses, we’re watching traditions change as we grow. New traditions are emerging at our Dublin and Cleveland campuses. Will Dublin’s Ugly Sweater Holiday Potluck stand the test of time?