Valumtimes Day Prom!

Let’s face it, people are usually unhappy about Valentines Day. Sure, there are those who are particularly stoked about V-Day because they are happily in love and are looking forward to showering/being showered by their loved one with the same commercialized gifts as everyone else in the world-chocolate, sickeningly romantic card, flowers, stuffed animals, balloons. (Unfortunately, I must admit that I am a sucker for these things but that’s beside the point)

Valentines Day was even worse here for many of us Americans at Oxford because not only were half the people lamenting not having a significant other on a holiday so devoted to love, the other half were sad that their loved one was across the sea, so far away on this day.

But we were able to rectify this situation with a Valumtimes Day Prom! (it was Kitty Mullet’s idea).
The Attire: Tacky Funky Fresh
The Goal: To look as ridiculous as possible
What Happened: Bright/Fluorescent colors

I have been recently put on the JCR committee along with Ashleigh, Alexia, and Kitty and basically we are in charge of organizing and arranging events in the common room. The committee is a lot more serious than I had anticipated, we have our meetings with the president of our college and we have £250 to spend for the term. I am the publicist and I get to promote the event to the 35 kids who live in one dorm…I’m pretty sure I got the easy job.

Anyway, we spent all week talking with people about the prom (like what they needed to make Valumtimes Day Prom a success), shopping for groceries, making food, creating music playlists, and pimping out the hideous common room (a combination of gray lockers, red velvet curtains, beige wallpaper with red velvet flowers, ridiculous tables and chairs, fluorescent lights, white heaters, and an array of knick knacks on shelves).

But against all odds, we transformed the common room into a place of Valumtimes Day joy! Some talented artists painted a canvas making a ridiculous pink backdrop for prom photos. We pushed the chairs to the side and hung balloons and streamers to make a festive dance floor. We had a ridiculous amount of alcohol: mixed drinks, sangria, hard cider, etc, etc. Don't worry, there was also food: chocolate chip cookies, cakes, chocolate fondue with fruit, pretzels, and cake.

Some people danced, others talked, and others sat in a circle and played a game of “steamy” dice that Marie’s mother sent her (but the game didn’t get steamier than some one kissing someone else’s leg). The prom was a success and took people’s minds off of the potential heartache that Valumtimes Day can bring.


Some highlights of the night:
Demimi and Andrew’s dance solos(not shown)
Kevin’s rented Tux ----->
Nora's gypsy shirt -------->
Pictures against the ridiculous backdrop -->