CHAMPAIGN — Uni's 2009 prom, A Night in Vegas, was held Saturday from 8:30 to 11:45 p.m. at the Champaign Country Club. The following photo essay is our first installment documenting the event.

More than 100 juniors and seniors and their dates attended Prom '09. This was the first year a preliminary vote was held to determine who would appear on the final ballot for prom court. There were three contenders for each title, with an extra fourth for princess due to an error on the preliminary ballot.

Six students made up the final court. There was a three-way tie for prince: juniors Langston Allston-Yeagle, Zack Goldberg, and Nathan Smith. Junior Tuli Bera was elected princess. Seniors Adam Tiouririne and Natsuki Nakamura were named king and queen.

This was the second year invitations were administered online, following the system senior Isaac Chambers set up last year.

Music was handled by Complete Music, and the event was photographed by Memory Lane Photography. Champaign Country Club provided the catering.

Sophomore Albert Anastasio served as dealer at the poker table Uni rented for the night, drawing in many players.

More than 80 students attended the PFO-sponsored post-prom, held from midnight to 6 a.m. at the Campus Recreation Center-East.

The event included swimming, basketball, dodgeball, movies, video games, card games (including a poker and roulette table), board games, and more. Post-prom breakfast was held at 5:30 a.m. at junior Erika Belmont's house for the second time in three years.

Prom '09: A Night In Vegas

From left: Senior Carter Hutchens, sophomore Albert Anastasio, and seniors Isaac Chambers and Stephen Prochaska ponder their big night out. Photos by Hiroko Ito (click any photo to enlarge and to create your own slideshow)

From left: Juniors Linda Ly, Isaure Hostetter, Katie Buzard, and Miles Bribriesco look fabulous.

Seniors Kareem Sayegh and Natsuki Nakamura share a dance. Nakamura
was elected prom queen.

Juniors Tuli Bera and Nathan Smith pose after winning prom princess
and prince. There was a three-way tie for prince among Smith and
classmates Langston Allston-Yeagle and Zack Goldberg.

Juniors Anna Gooler and Zack Goldberg, one of the three princes.

Prom king Adam Tiouririne is surrounded by senior Malcolm Taylor and
junior Michelle Wong (to the left), and senior Maddy Levin and junior
Langston Allston-Yeagle (right). Allston-Yeagle was one of the princes.

Senior Isaac Chambers (left) takes to the dance floor with junior Eddie Diazmuñoz and his date.

Seniors Vaishnavi Giridaran and Cheng Luo savor their last prom.

Juniors Ben Lee and Cheyenne Stewart pose for the camera.

Juniors Terry Qi, Sindha Agha, and Jack Snyder enjoy the evening.

The crowning of the prom court.

Senior Jeremy Kemball with date Martha Yoshida, this year's Japanese exchange student.

Juniors Andrew Weatherhead, Danny Ge, and Daniel Pearlstein display some camaraderie.

Seniors Lizzy Warner and James Smith show off their fashion sense.

Seniors Russell Prochaska and Sheri Grill have some fun.

The prom king and queen share a dance after their crowning.

Junior Katherine Allen and senior Alan Liang take a moment to relax.

Sophomores Wynee Bao and Will Fernandez help out with the night's festivities.

Faculty members Rachel Tyson, Frances Harris, and Suzanne Linder were among the chaperones.

Seniors Annie Machesky, Hannah Leskosky, and Jess Stewart dazzle with
their variety of fashion statements.

Malcolm Taylor and Michelle Wong partake of the assorted treats.

Junior Elizabeth Russell (left) and senior Joy Shapley (right) with Martha,
who quickly got the hang of prom, that quintessential American ritual.

Tiouririne and Taylor are excited to dance with each other.

Sophomore Albert Anastasio was the poker dealer at the dance.