Alternative Prom: Haven for some, fun for all

April 22, 2009
By Brittney Meyer
Student Life Reporter

An important spring event most teenagers look forward to all year is prom.  It is a special day full of sparkling dresses, perfect hairdos, and the crowning of king and queen. This weekend, UIS hosted a different take on this high school tradition, an alternative prom.        

“Alternative Prom is an event for the UIS LGBTQ community and its allies to come together and have some fun,” stated Bret Tate, former Chair of Queer-Straight Alliance (QSA), the student organization that plans the event. “We also opened it up to high school students who may not feel comfortable at their own prom, like LGBT students,” said Tate.

Students from all over the community danced the night away on Saturday, April 18 in the Student Life gym. The dance started at 8:00 and ended with the crowning of king and queen at midnight.

Lincoln Land student Mary Jewett received Queen and Glenwood High School Senior Seth Gregory was crowned King.

UIS student Charles Olivier smashes a pie in the face of Marc Klingshirn, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, (above) and Clarice Ford, Executive Director of the Diversity Center (below).

“This was my first time coming to an alternative prom and I had an amazing time. One of the best dances I’ve been to,” stated Gregory eagerly.

“I was really surprised by winning, I wasn’t expecting it at all,” stated Jewett. “I liked dancing, even if they didn’t play our songs.”

During the dance there was a drag show consisting of four UIS students, raffles, and an assortment of refreshments offered, such as snow cones.

The four brave UIS students who agreed to dress in drag and perform were Zach Berillo, Bret Tate, Courtney Shelley and Renee Rathjen. Each student also was given a ‘drag’ name for his or her performance.  Berillo, channeling his alter ego of Vivian von Brokenheimen, pleased the crowd by gracefully performing Shania Twains’ 1999 hit single “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!”

Berillo was asked to dress up and perform a few days prior to the prom, and thought it over and decided to try dressing in drag for the evening. “It was a good way to support my friends and the organization,” said Berillo.

Drag participant Courtney Shelley was very excited to perform because she had never dressed in drag before.

According to attendees, the dance was a welcoming environment for anyone to participate in.

“The dance had a very open, positive atmosphere,” stated Jessica Wilcox, who was there for the second year in a row.

“I was very impressed with the turnout of the dance. It was great to see so many people able to enjoy themselves in an environment they are comfortable in,” stated UIS freshmen Nicholas Thesis.

To raise money for the alternative prom, QSA recruited nine faculty members to agree to be pied in the face with whipped cream. On Wednesday, April 15, in the Food Emporium students were given the chance to buy a plate of whip cream and chocolate syrup to smash in the face of a faculty member.

Students could buy the whipped pies for anywhere from $1-$5. Beth Hoag received the most to the face. Along with her, Lynne Price, Jeannie Capranica, Marc Klingshirn, Cynthia Thompson, Harry Berman, Pinky Wassenberg, Pat Langley, and Clarice Ford were also pied multiple times, sometimes with two pies at once.