Each year, during fall through spring, students who are invited to Piedmont Driving Club (PDC) attend this famous dance from all around the metro area. This invite-only dance is known throughout Buckhead and is considered one of the most popular, exclusive, and expensive parties that occur over the course of several months. It’s all about who you know to get in, and the event is considered extremely difficult to be a part of. Considering all the effort to even attend the PDC, one would think that it would be the time of their life. However, when realization and stress sets in, a debate sparks as to whether PDC is worth the time, money, and energy.

PDC takes place over the course of a few months due to that grade levels each have their own night. Juniors are in November, sophomores in December, seniors in January and freshmen in April. This allows for the dance’s moshpit to be a little less crowded, which is much appreciated among students in each grade. Each year, strict rules are put in place to make sure students don’t crash each other’s night. “Honestly, I like having the rule. It makes it more fun so we can just see people from our own grade rather than freshman,” said junior Jessica Stevens.

However for most, the moshpit is not the primary cause of stress for the dance. Since PDC is girls ask guys, many girls get overwhelmed trying to figure out who to ask. Oftentimes, many people start calling “dibs” months in advance and in order to ensure no one steals their date, and for this all-important choice, even spreadsheets about who should take who are made. In addition, there’s also finding the right dress for the dance that no one else has. And also the difficulty of finding a dress that’s appropriate for the fashion rules that follow a specific month. Needless to say, it’s a lot.

As if one needs another complicating factor, many people just go to PDC for the pictures. That means trying to get the right angles and lighting takes serious skill. “Everything about PDC seems like too much. The price in addition to the rest adds up to a lot unnecessary concern,” said junior Hannah Hume.

Despite some kinks, the dance is always a blast. The food, the venue, and being with friends makes it all worthwhile. So everyone, when it’s PDC season don’t stress! Just make sure to relax and just boogie yourself into chill-town.