Partiers come out for Rainbow Prom

By Jesus Diaz

As visitors entered last Thursday's Rainbow Prom, they were met with the colors of the rainbow, a poignant reminder of the event's purpose.

A balloon arch, decorated in every color, was the first image meeting students attending, followed immediately with the sight of same-sex couples dancing together or in groups.

"I saw guys freaking with guys," said senior Julie Arcaro, Santa Clara Community Action Program member, to a thunderous roar of applause. "I saw girls freaking with girls."

The event was geared towards providing the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community on campus with an opportunity to experience prom, which they may not have had before. The event was also open to all students who wanted to show support.

"Our goal was to educate the community in some way that it wasn't just throwing a big party," Arcaro said. Arcaro is program coordinator for the Gay and Straight People Education for Diversity department within SCCAP and was one of the event's chief organizers.

The event was scheduled to last from 8 p.m. to midnight. Yet, even after DJ Daniel Stadulis, a 2008 alumnus, announced the last song -- Madonna's "Like a Prayer" -- the music kept playing until well after midnight. Junior Lauren Duffy also spun for the first two hours.

While people cycled in and out throughout the night, there were approximately 50 to 75 people on the dance floor at any given time.

"We never expected this many people," Arcaro said.

The event was hosted by SCCAP with the help from students in other clubs such as GALA.

Complementary drinks and snacks were offered with a picture station and ballots for the election of the night's kings and queens. Entrance was free of charge.

A video, made by SCCAP members, was shown during the latter part of the dance, featuring five students' thoughts about prom.

These students, according to Arcaro, were from the LGBTQ community and "were not out in high school." They shared their stories about the uncomfortable situations they experienced at prom.

Stories discussed how a Catholic high school did not allow a student to take a member of the same sex to prom and how a public school was not accepting of same-sex dates.

Many students who were not directly involved with SCCAP also attended the event to show support for the LGBTQ community.

"I decided to come here because a lot of my friends are gay and I thought I could come out and support them," said senior Saul Ramirez Mondragon, who ultimately became one of the prom kings. "I think it's one of the best ideas Santa Clara has had. I hope that everyone that wants to be here is here and isn't scared to be here."

There were four people awarded with the honors of prom royalty, two kings and two queens. Along with Ramirez Mondragon, Noelle Morano, Daniel Perry and Jennifer Saldana were also winners.

"I decided to come and support the gay community because I have gay relatives and it doesn't hurt to support anybody if they're doing something good," said sophomore Victoria Campos. "I think it's a brilliant idea."

"I just want to enjoy myself with my friends; it shouldn't be any different than a straight prom," she said.

Some in SCAAP and attendees of the event believe the gay community needs more representation.

"The campus is not entirely safe, and I think there's a lot that people don't know," Arcaro said. "I witnessed instances of homophobia in the dorms my freshman and sophomore year."

According to Ramirez, the university is in need for more appeal to the LGBTQ community. "(Santa Clara) needs to be more open to the homosexual population, these kinds of events are what make people really feel comfortable at school," he said.

According to senior Daniel Perry, the event went "pretty well," as SCCAP members were worried that the turnout was going to be minimal and that people would feel awkward or uncomfortable. Instead, he said he was surprised by the amount of people.

He thought people might be attracted by the idea of a rainbow prom, noting that there were people he hadn't even seen before.

"The hardest part was to make this a fun night for LGBTQ students and also allies and figuring out how to make it educational as well," he said.

"Looking at the dance floor, it seemed like a pretty safe space," said Arcaro. "I think everyone enjoyed it and we might even do it again next quarter."

Brittany Benjamin contributed to this article. Contact Jesus Diaz at jadiaz@scu.edu or (408) 554-4546.