By Asha Matthews
Contributing Writer
There are papers due, finals to take and only a few weeks left of school before summer begins. Most high school seniors are waiting to have their prom, but junior Bonnies are getting ready for a three-day extravaganza — an amplified version of a high school “prom.”
Class of 2015 President Samantha DiBenedetto and Vice President Ashley Hong, along with the prom committee, said they have been working hard so next weekend can be a perfect break before crunch time begins.
Tickets for junior prom are being sold for $45 per person through my.sbu.edu, and students will receive a three -day package, including meals and events to give them a chance to bond with their classmates.
The first event will be a Jock Jam- themed party at the Rathskeller on Friday, April 11 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. The next day, Saturday, April 12, will be a “Great Gatsby”-themed affair at The Old Library Restaurant, also from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. Finally, the Class of 2015 brunch will be on Sunday, April 13 at The Old Library Restaurant from noon to 2 p.m.
Ashley Hong, a junior biology major, said she believes the three planned events will have a uniting effect for the class.
“Even though our pricing for junior prom seems to be high, we hope that students understand that The Old Library has raised their food costs, and our class is not making a profit out of any of the events,” she said. “We want every single junior to come out and join in on the three-day ride and build a tighter bond with their fellow juniors.”
With the school year closing out, students need to find something new to experience while having fun with the rest of their own class. Although the budget is not as large as the prom committee had hoped, the events will be worth students’ time, Hong said.
“We hope that people will really go all out with the themes and dress up in workout clothes for our ‘80s and ‘90s themed Jock Jam party and fringy dresses, sequins, headbands and the guys to have their little bow-ties on for the Great Gatsby event,” Hong said. “One of the main goals we have as officers is to make sure everyone in the Class of 2015 has the best time we can offer on our tight budget.”
DiBenedetto, a junior biology major, said she thinks the first of the three events, Jock Jam will have a more relaxed feel in which the music will be the main attraction to get students moving on the dance floor.
“We definitely wanted to try something new since for the past few years the themes have been repeats,” DiBenedetto said. “So, we started looking for ideas on YouTube and came across Jock Jam music. The hip hop music was just what we were looking for because we pictured people dressing up in cheesy workout gear from that era —the legwarmers, the sneakers. Someone can wear a cheerleader outfit or something. I mean people can get creative with this event. We are going to have big posters of Jock Jam albums and basketballs hanging from the ceiling and most importantly, the DJ is going to be loading up on Vanilla Ice.”
Since the Skeller already fits the Jock Jam theme, the simple decorations and music will make the theme pop. However, a lot of the budget is going to an extravagant and classy night at The Old Library.
“This year we are definitely a little tighter on our budget but we are working with a committee with ten different girls and checking for the cheapest prices to get the most for our money,” DiBenedetto said.
Students can always go to the Skeller, grab some wings and dance the night away, but The Old Library is somewhere off campus that the entire junior class can reveal their inner Gatsby — the 1920s-inspired look.
“We are going to have some beautiful, eye-catching centerpieces that follow the ‘Great Gatsby’ theme that students will have to wait to see,” DiBenedetto said. “The Old Library will be over the top with streamers, Christmas lights, clear balloons — an elegant touch. My favorite decoration is the ‘Welcome Old Sport’ banner we are going to have.”
Fatya Amiri, a junior biology major, hopes for a good turnout and for the prom committee to really follow how the party scenes from “The Great Gatsby” movie were tastefully done.
“I’m actually the one to have given Sam and Ashley the idea for a ‘Great Gatsby’ theme because I watched the movie and really wanted to dress up in a sophisticated way, something different from regular party dresses,” Amiri said. “The party scenes from the movie had an elegant vibe, and I know that our class will have fun with the idea. I’ve already heard good things from people about the theme and hope that every junior can actually gather together outside of the classroom.”
Although the time is almost here to dress up and stay classy, there are still a few things that need to be done. To make the dance floor pop, the Prom Committee is looking for any form of lighting (strobe or black lights) since the DJ is not providing any.
Also, the prom committee is looking for a photographer.The photography will qualify as internship hours for journalism and mass communication majors. Those interested should contact Hong at hongy11@bonaventure.edu or DiBenedetto at dibenes11@bonaventure.edu.
mattheal11@bonaventure.edu
