Then-sophomore Tianna Pittenger makes her entrance to Uni's 2008 prom, "The Royal Masquerade," at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center. This year's prom will be held May 9 at the Champaign Country Club. The theme is "A Night in Vegas." Gargoyle staff photo (click to enlarge)

URBANA — As Uni students return from spring break they will have a surprise other than a renewed workload. Invites for Uni's prom on May 9 are set to go out to junior and senior e-mail accounts Monday.

This year's prom, "A Night in Vegas," will take place at Champaign Country Club from 8:30 to 11:45 p.m. This is the first time in two years that the event will not be at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center.

"We looked around and tried to find what places were open for what weekend, and then we had to check with the school calendar," said junior class vice president Linda Ly.

"And at that time in the summer there was nothing on the calendar for May 9, so we decided to go with Champaign Country Club, which was available then."

Current seniors Maddy Levin and Hannah Leskosky catered last year's prom as part of their independent study with a professional chef. This year Champaign Country Club will take care of everything — working with Uni to compile a list of desserts.

"We knew that it would be a good place for prom because there have been proms there before," commented Ly. "We really liked how everything was basically included so we don't have to rent linens and we don't have to get a separate caterer or rent a dance floor because everything is already provided in the ballroom."

May 9 is also the date of the Twin Cities Twosome, the required 5K final for Uni students.

"When we looked at the calendar it wasn’t there in the first place and we can't really control what day the 5K is on," said Ly. "And I personally didn't think it would be that much of a problem because the 5K is over by 10 a.m. or so, and there's still plenty of time left in the day."

For the second time in as many years, invites will be sent out electronically. As he did last year, senior Isaac Chambers has created a Web site that organizes all of the responses to prom.

"Online invites are easier for the prom committee and faster for everybody else," commented Chambers.

They also reduce the cost of paper and mailing traditional invites, saving a couple hundred dollars.

This year's prom will not only see a change in location but also a change in DJs with the hiring of professional DJ company Complete Music. Nick Pratt (Class of 2007) was the DJ at last year's prom. Despite the concerns that hiring a professional company would limit student control of the music selection, Complete Music allows clients to compile a list of their own music beforehand within the company’s music library. The online invites include a request box for song suggestions.

"We really encourage people to submit requests for songs so that we make sure we submit everyone's tastes in music," said Ly.

Memory Lane Photography will send someone to the event to photograph those interested. Last year's prom was photographed by an independent photographer.

In an extension of the Vegas theme, card tables will be set up at both prom and post prom. Prom committee, composed of Ly and fellow juniors Danny Ge, Amy Ding, Rachel Harmon, Maritza Mestre, Nora Peterson, and Elizabeth Russell, is looking to rent a blackjack table and possibly an additional roulette table for post prom.

Ideally a sophomore will act as dealer at prom. The table at prom will be available for use for the first half of the night. Poker chips will be distributed to guests when they enter. Each person will receive the same amount of chips. At the end of the night, the person with the most chips will be awarded a prize.

"We hope that the card table will provide an alternative for those who want to take a break from the dancing and just relax," said Ly.

Despite the early doubt that a PFO-sponsored post prom would attract enough guests to be held, it is scheduled to go on. The combined responses to the e-mail that junior class PFO representative Janice Lilly (mother of junior Dan Lilly and freshman Marie Lilly) sent out to junior/senior students and parents, paired with the Facebook event created by junior Jasper Maniates-Selvin, met the minimum requirement of 50 intended or possible guests.

"We know that people really want to have the option of leaving early, and we're trying to work it out and give the students a little more freedom, but we also want to keep it orderly and safe," said Ly. "And since this is supposed to be a PFO responsibility we can't guarantee anything. But we know how important freedom is and we are trying."

The PFO will host its post prom at the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC), the recently redone IMPE. The event will start shortly after the end of prom and last until 6 a.m. Guests will have the option of swimming, using the gym, or hanging out in the lobby playing games and watching movies. The possibility of purchasing rock climbing tickets is also being explored.

Post-prom breakfast will also be held at the ARC. Hosted by Chifan Belmont (mother of junior Erika Belmont and 2007 graduate Michael Belmont), breakfast will take place around 5 a.m. in the ARC kitchen. The Belmonts hosted post-prom breakfast at their house two years ago. Mrs. Belmont urges students to attend for a "hot and delicious breakfast and a nice conclusion to prom." The menu is yet to be decided.

Said Ly of her attitude toward this year's prom: "I'm excited to see how this prom will work out because we have a lot of events lined up for the night, and we're really looking forward to using Champaign Country Club and testing out the new facilities of the ARC."