This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of accompanying my friend, Makaila, to her first ever prom! Hosted by ASCEND and co-sponsored by SGA and Planned Parenthood Generation Action, the event was open to the entire community. This year’s Queer Prom holds a special significance for ASCEND, as the last one was in 2014.
(Makaila serving major looks)
Since it was Makaila’s first experience going to a prom, I made it my personal mission to make the night as prom-like as possible. One of the most important portions of prom night is prep. The day of, Makaila and I went shopping for the perfect dress. Four hours into our shopping spree, we had no dress and a pile of other clothing that we bought on a whim. Panicked, we returned to our apartment to sort through our closet to find ANYTHING that would be acceptable for Makaila’s first prom. Finally, after a frantic few minutes sifting through our respective closets, we found the perfect outfit. Although not new, the black ensemble was classy and to the theme of the evening, “Throwback.”
We spent the hours before the event relaxing and pampering. For the perfect prom skin, I made a homemade sugar scrub for us both. To make your own, combine two parts sugar to one part apple cider vinegar. The sugar acts as an exfoliant, while the vinegar tones and cleanses pores.
Like any good Cancer sign, I am the mom of our friend group. Therefore enjoy this compilation of the photoshoot of my company for the night.
We arrived at the venue, Evans Dining Hall, fashionably late. Unfortunately, we missed the free Revolution Donuts. MISSED THE FREE DONUTS! So next year, I would definitely recommend coming on time! The venue, our lovely dining hall, was decorated in a wash of beautiful rainbows. As soon as we walked in, DJ CRU had the best of the 90’s and 2000’s popping through the speakers. The event was open to the public, but it was so great to see everyone from around campus dressed up in their version of prom throwback.
Those who wanted, spent the evening dancing to the tunes, while others took a moment to sit at the tables and enjoy a beverage (both alcoholic and non) with friends. Unlike my prom in high school, the event was a safe place where everyone was free to come as they were. No one was pressured to drink, dance, or take pictures, which is a definite plus.
Although the prom was not traditional per se, it was such a nice experience to be able to escort one of my best friends to her first prom. Especially because the space was so inclusive, and a definite improvement of anything I had to endure in high school.