On March 31, SXU hosted its annual spring formal dance at The Drake Hotel in downtown Chicago.
The “Starry Night” themed dance hosted more than 300 guests according to Assistant Director of Campus Life Qiana Boyd.
Check-in for attendees of the formal started at 4:45 p.m. in the Butler Reception Room. Upon checking in, students were assigned to one of 10 buses.
Each bus had an assigned chaperone, with 11 chaperones in total Boyd noted.
Students over the age of 21 were given a red wristband to indicate that they were of age.
Students with wristbands were limited to three drinks, as reinforced by the tabs on their wristbands.
According to an email sent to attendees, the buses were scheduled to depart from the university at 5:15 p.m. and arrive at The Drake by 6 p.m.
The buses departed from the university at 5:45 p.m. and arrived at The Drake at 6:45 p.m.
Luz Garcia, an attendee of the formal, stated that “I did not think the dance was organized, but just in regards to the bus transportation and the amount of time it took to get people on the bus. The schedule said we would be arriving at the Drake at 6 and it was actually closer to 7”.
Upon arrival at The Drake, attendees were seated and served a dinner consisting of an appetizer salad, a main course of chicken, and a dessert.
The main course of chicken included Chicken Asada grilled thigh served with polenta, lima beans and corn, and sweet bell peppers with a Chimichurri sauce.
The dessert consisted of a raspberry cheesecake with graham cracker crust and raspberry coulis.
Attendees with dietary restrictions, such as vegetarians and vegans, were able to fill out a form noting their restrictions prior to the event.
The vegetarian option was ravioli.
After dinner, the dance floor and bar were then opened to attendees, alongside the photo booth.
The DJ played a variety of music, having both taken recommendations at the dance and through a form sent out to attendees prior to the event.
Some of the songs played included “Edge of Seventeen” by Stevie Nicks, “Super Trouper” by ABBA, “22” by Taylor Swift, and “Hey Ya!” by OutKast, among many others.
Another attendee of the formal, Cassidy Dawson, stated that “The dance floor was a big part of my memories made at formal. I really loved when they threw in an ABBA song because I’m a major fan of theirs”.
“With my amazing friends I got to sing my heart out and not think twice about the people looking at me. I was definitely having a mini concert moment and, I must say, I killed it” she added.
While there was a semi-formal dress code to accompany the “Starry Night” theme, attendees were decked in their favorite formal attire both in and out of the theme.
Attendees began boarding their assigned buses at 10 p.m. to return to campus by 10:45, as noted in the schedule that had been sent to attendees.
Attendees returned to campus just after 11 p.m. upon which they were able to return to their residence halls or homes, or continue the night with friends.
Boyd stated that the formal was the “experience of a lifetime with a beautiful venue”.
Attendees of the formal indicated that the formal was quite memorable, one of the best parts being “the dancing” as Garcia added.