Photos: AC Drip Hosts Masquerade Prom for High School Class of 2020

Members of AC Drip and their friends pose in front of a backdrop in Upper Baldwin. On Oct. 28 AC Drip hosted a masquerade prom where students ate, danced and took photos (Photo illustration by Bella Bakeman).

On Oct. 28, AC Drip partnered with the Black Student Alliance, the Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) sorority and the Hermandad de SIA sorority to host a masquerade prom in Upper Baldwin. During the prom, nearly 100 students ate food, danced, took photos and voted for prom king and queen.

From left to right Detroit first-year Ja’Nice Davis smiles clutching her purse. Chicago senior Dior Love dances and shows off her nails. First-year Aijalon Wheaton smiles looking at Davis. Albion sophomore Atiyah Artis dances and throws her hands up in the air dancing with Chicago senior Eric Khadon (Photos by Bella Bakeman).

President of AC Drip and Chicago senior Dior Love said the inspiration for the prom came from current Albion College seniors, who graduated from high school in 2020.

“A lot of people wanted a prom because they didn’t get one in 2020 because of COVID,” Love said. “This was everybody’s opportunity to either go to prom or get a redo for the prom you already had.”

President of AKA and St. Louis senior Hollie Ballentine said that she was excited to have the opportunity to host events like this as a “leader on campus,” adding that hosting events like the prom is something that Love is “passionate about.”

Love said AC Drip’s mission is to “create a space where students can express themselves through their own clothing choices,” adding that AC Drip hosts events like the masquerade prom to give students the opportunity to dress up and be who they want to be and be comfortable in what they choose to wear.

One feature of the prom was nominating and voting for king and queen. Ballentine said nominations started two to three weeks before the prom and only attendees could vote for the winner. 

From left to right: AC Drip President and Chicago senior Dior Love, Prom Queen and Detroit senior Skye Dickson and AKA Sorority President and St. Louis senior Hollie Balentine pose in front of a backdrop. Dickson said the three of them chose the same hair color, but made sure to have it styled differently (Photo illustration by Bella Bakeman).

Prom Queen and Detroit senior Skye Dickson said she did not think she would win. 

“I really thought it was a joke. But, I’m really happy I won because I didn’t get a prom in high school,” Dickson said. “It made my mom cry.”

A group stands around Prom King and Muskegon senior DaMario Chapman. “I was trying to go for a color that no one else really would’ve came out with, which is what happened. Some people came out with green, but it wasn’t the light green that I had,” Chapman said (Photo by Bella Bakeman).

Prom King and Muskegon senior DaMario Chapman said he expected that he’d “come out on top,” later adding that he loved the prom.

“We had the Kiki ball last year, but there was something different about this one,” Chapman said.

Ballentine said she is very excited for the direction that AC Drip is going because there is so much “creativity and freedom” among the group.

Love said that although she is graduating in the spring, there are plenty of juniors, sophomores and first-year students on AC Drip’s ed-board who will carry on the torch.

“I’m preparing one particular person, I should keep her anonymous for now, but she’s being prepared for next year,” Love said. “I have full faith in them and what they are able to do.”

Though the masquerade prom was the last big production event of the semester, Love says AC Drip’s biggest event of the year will be next semester in February: The Pink Panther Kiki Ball.

“A Kiki Ball is more of an LGBTQ, vogue-inspired scene and it just gives students the opportunity to come and compete in categories such as face, runway, body, best-dressed, etc. and just be loved and feel supported amongst your peers,” Love said.

The Pink Panther Kiki Ball will be held on Feb. 10. For more details, follow @albioncollegedrip on Instagram.

Detroit junior Ayrinn Greene poses with a dog, Halo, on the red carpet entrance. Both were dressed head to toe in black and silver (Photo by Bella Bakeman).
Love poses in her dress on the red carpet (Photo illustration by Bella Bakeman).
A student dressed in red smiles with excitement at seeing her friend, who looks at her dress in awe (Photo by Bella Bakeman).
Attendees of the AC Drip Masquerade Prom pose when they see a camera (Photo by Bella Bakeman).
About Bella Bakeman 69 Articles
Bella Bakeman is a senior from Berkley, Michigan. She is majoring in English with a Secondary Education Concentration and minoring in Political Science. Bella seeks to bring both joy and justice to her readers. She can be found with a camera around her neck, notebook in hand and pen in her pocket. Contact Bella via email at INB10@albion.edu.

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