Alternative Prom concludes PRIDE Week

Music blared through the Ballroom as the lights dimmed Saturday night, kicking off PRIDE’s Alternative Prom.

“It’s open to everyone,” said PRIDE President Lisa Overzat, junior sociology major. “It’s been so nice to see the support, to see everyone coming out and having a good time. It’s about creating an event where everyone can come out and just be themselves.”

The dance comes at the end of a week dedicated to events promoting awareness of gay issues. One of the events, entitled “Safe, Sane and Sober,” was a Jeopardy style trivia contest about various issues in the community. The evening allowed students and PRIDE members to come together to discuss safe sex, sexually transmissible infections and alternatives to sex for couples wishing to abstain.

PRIDE also hosted a panel for discussion, consisting of gay, bisexual and straight allies. The panel answered both prepared questions and spontaneous questions from the audience.

“It’s all about creating an environment where anyone can ask anything,” Overzat said.

Although the group planned various formal discussions and events, others allowed students to come together, socialize, relax and discuss issues important to them. Other events included a bowling evening for members and supporters as well as a group discussion on discrimination issues.

Friday’s event was the unique day of silence, promoting silence in respect and awareness for tolerance. This year’s day of silence was to honor slain 15-year-old Lawrence King, a student in California who was shot and killed by another student who found out King was gay.

At the end of the day, PRIDE hosted an event called “Breaking the Silence.”

"There were poems, prose and monologues, all talking about issues in the community,” Overzat said. “It’s a day of silence followed by a night of noise.”

Saturday’s dance followed the tradition of acceptance and celebration, with both gay students and straight allies in attendance.

“There have been a lot of people interested in it,” said Brittany Zirkle, junior communication major and PRIDE social chair. “We’ve had support from many different people and organizations.”

PRIDE members have seen the support from the organization and its events progress throughout this year and previous years.

“It’s a lot of fun,” said Luke Wolford, freshman undecided major. “The dance has grown a little since last year, but membership just seems to rise and fall. It just happens.”

This week’s events have varied in attendance compared to previous years.

“We’ve had a larger turnout for some of it,” Wolford said. “’Acting Out’ really had more people than we had expected. No matter who came, it was a great turnout for all of the difficulties we encountered.”

PRIDE may have planned and coordinated the week’s events well in advance, but one event Friday evening took audience members by surprise. Nikki Robertson, Emporia State graduate, proposed to her girlfriend, Abi Schoenberger, at the end of the evening. Schoenberger accepted, much to Robertson’s, and the audience’s, delight.

“It was kind of nerve racking,” Robertson said. “My family came down to see. There was a big ‘Awww’ from the audience, and I think about five people started crying.”

Schoenberger also recalled the event at the dance, which fell on her first day as a fiancee.

“It was so cute,” Schoenberger said. “She did it after all the performances were over, in front of her family too.”

Schoenberger says the couple has planned their ceremony to take place next year.

Wolford said the evening comes as an end of the year celebration for all of the work that PRIDE has done on campus.

“It’s been a busy week, and this is all about just kicking back and relaxing.”