Students shine on a starry night

Ferris community goes to prom

Over 100 people filled the ballrooms with a vibrant atmosphere for an evening of dancing and drag. 

A student organization known as DAISE hosted Ferris’ first “second chance prom.”

Kymani Martin (left) and Kya Ceburn-Adams (right) dress up in sparkly gowns. Photo by: Isabelle Marks | News Reporter

DAISE stands for Diversity Advocacy for Identity and Sexuality Empowerment. The group collaborated with the LGBTQ+ Resource Center and the Disability Services office to organize the dance. 

For students who graduated during the COVID-19 pandemic or were unable to attend a high school prom as their true selves, this event offered them a second chance. 

The prom theme was “Starry Night.” The decorations were centered around this theme, featuring shades of blues and purples, along with an abundance of stars and other celestial elements.

Becca Osborne is the advisor for DAISE and the director of the LGBTQ+ Resource Center. They believed that the experience was incredible and that the event couldn’t have gone better.

“This was kind of a test pilot for having a big campus formal,” Osborne said. “This was the first time that this RSO was able to do such a big event. I think it was a success, and I’ll sit and talk with the students, but we would like to make this recurring for sure.”

Osborne also described how proud they were of the students who planned the event.

“The students did everything,” Osborne said. “They planned the room, made reservations, contacted all the vendors, called the drag queens and more. They ordered the food and took care of everything.”

Forensic biology sophomore Kymani Martin is a board member of DAISE. She had a great time at the event and was happy to be a part of planning it.

Katlynn Sturis (left) and Nicole Ly (right) smile and hug in the starry night. Lucas Gill | Demo 64

“DAISE took a lot of time to plan this with other RSOs on campus, so it was a pretty nice event, and I am happy with the turnout for our first one,” Martin said.

Artificial intelligence sophomore Jhanvi Murugan also had a nice experience at the event. Murugan also expressed her intention to attend another event like this in the future.

“They had some drinks and I met some of my friends,” Murugan said. “We dressed up and they played some music and we danced. We also took some pictures. So that was nice, and it was nice to hang out with everyone at this event.”

The Second Chance Prom enjoyed a turnout that DAISE was proud of, with attendees like Martin and Murugan expressing their enthusiasm and contributing to the overall positive impact of the event. 

After a high turnout, members of DAISE are hopeful for more large events in their group’s future. 

Follow the Torch’s cultures section for ongoing coverage of campus events.