‘Like no other formal’: Esperanza through the years

By Shruti Patankar     10/29/24 11:00pm

Live ice sculptures, ticket-covered bar tabs and university-wide Among Us games — Esperanza, Rice’s annual fall formal, is no stranger to reinvention. 

The first mention of Esperanza is found in an October 1980 edition of the Thresher, where it is announced as the new name of the Brown-Jones women’s fall formal. Other suggestions that were not picked included “The Twilight Romp,” “Willy or Won’t He Ball” and Wiess College’s entry, “Nightofdeca Dance.”

Today, Esperanza gives students the chance to dress up and head to an off-campus location for a night of decadent food and dancing. A November 2005 edition of the Thresher said that recent Esperanza locations included Minute Maid Park, NASA Johnson Space Center, the Crowne Plaza hotel and the Koch Building. This year’s dance will be held at The Parador Nov. 1, with a photo booth, bar and yard games. 

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In the past, Esperanza has struggled with attendance. A graphic in the November 2007 edition of the Thresher showed that Esperanza’s attendance decreased consistently each year, from 1000 people in 2000 to 400 in 2005. Rice Program Center canceled Rondelet to focus on Esperanza in 2006, which had 580 people attend. 

Eventually, Esperanza’s attendance increased. The November 2008 dance saw a record attendance of over 1000 people, exceeding the RPC’s original expectation of between 600 and 700 people. Tickets were sold out two days before the dance, with resale tickets selling for extreme amounts. 

“One student sent an e-mail on the Jones College listserv, offering $100, as well as his iPod, in exchange for two tickets to the dance. Tickets originally sold for $15,” the article said.  

The budget has been a consistent concern, especially because the RPC also runs Beer Bike. In the past, a ticket covered dinner, drinks, a performance and more. A September 1984 edition of the Thresher said the ticket included dinner, flowers, a bar tab and entertainment from The Second City comedy troupe. 

In a September 1988 edition of the Thresher, at-the-time RPC president Alex Flenner ’89 said that they did not have the budget to pay popular performers who were interested. 

“We have big-name bands that would love to play Rice – it’s Houston,” Flenner said. “Al Jarreau wants to sing here. He has a beautiful voice, but we just don’t have the funds.” 

Flenner said that Beer Bike had been getting more expensive, but the funds the RPC received remained the same. 

“We’ve tried to get corporate sponsorship, but no one will touch it,” Flenner said. “The alcohol makes it too risky.”

At times, the budget ballooned. Along with a Mr. Rice competition, Student Vision for the Second Century town hall and Young Alumni pub night, RPC held Esperanza during Rice’s Centennial Weekend celebrations in February 2012. The party included a custom mixologist, live carving of an ice sculpture,and food trucks. Shaurya Agarwal ’14, RPC’s external vice president at the time, said that the budget had opened up significantly by saving on the venue and erecting a tent in front of Lovett Hall. 

“It’s going to be like no other formal event you’ve ever been to,” Agarwal said. “This is the Centennial Esperanza. It’s once in a hundred years.”

2020’s Esperanza had both a remote and in-person component. The remote event had a classic fall movie viewing and Among Us game, while the traditional in-person dance was turned into a fall carnival with hayrides and pumpkin carving. Ashley Pena ’23, the RPC Traditions Committee co-chair at the time, said that the changes were made to preserve the tradition while prioritizing safety. 

“Now more than ever, people crave social interaction, and we really tried our best to create events that provided a feeling of normalcy while still being very much in line with the rules set in place by the university,” Pena said. 

This year’s dance is expecting an attendance of between 400 and 500 people. RPC’s socials co-chair, Megan Phung, said in an email to the Thresher that planning for the event began during the start of the summer. 

“RPC gives us a lot of freedom to make Esperanza what we truly want it to look like. We’ve spent a lot of time finding venues, reaching out to caterers, finding a DJ and more,” Phung said. “When we toured The Parador, we automatically knew we wanted Esperanza to be at The Parador because of how gorgeous it was.” 

Esperanza has endured fluctuating attendance, changing budgets and global pandemics. In a November 1988 edition of the Thresher, Flenner said that the efforts of RPC are worthwhile, despite funding difficulties.  

“Many people have told me that it was the most fun they have had in the past three or four years,” Flenner said. 

Natalia Salies ’10 said that Esperanza will always be around. 

“I think people at Rice just enjoy dressing up,” Salies said. “That’s the one [party] that makes people put clothes on instead of taking them off.” 

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