Page 3
The World Awaits
By Alethea Pagdanganan
All glammed up in flowing gowns and dashing suits, the class of 2017 embarked on their trip to Cocoanut Grove in Santa Cruz on April 29 for a fun-filled prom night. This year the event was not just limited to dancing and socializing, as the venue also included unlimited arcade and laser tag. Anticipation was high despite those who complained about the expensive ticket prices.
After the scenic bus ride through luscious forests, the seniors were greeted with the flashing neon “Cocoanut Grove” sign that stood at the end of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. From the entrance of the venue, the red velvet staircase led to the dance floor and spacious dining area. The dining area had a gorgeous view of the beach and boardwalk. Guests were able to admire the beautiful sunset as they indulged themselves during dinner.
Speaking of dinner, the food was pretty varied. The meal was served buffet-style featuring entrees such as tri-tip and vegetarian lasagna. The lasagna was pretty good but I felt like the tri-tip needed a little something more. Other side dishes like bread rolls and salads were offered as well. The real star was the dessert, which included lemon bars, brownies, and cheesecake. Dessert was served shortly after but didn’t last long with everyone hanging around.
Since the arcade didn’t open until later in the night, many guests were determined to get their flip book done. Aside from the flip book, there was a photo booth too. The wait for photos ranged from 45 minutes to an hour. Waiting in line was not the most interesting place to spend time at during prom, but then again,
many people were waiting for the arcade to open. The wait wasn’t so bad because it meant hanging around in line with friends anyway. In the end, everything turned out alright because by the time you were finished with photos, the arcade would be open.
The arcade offered a wide variety of games ranging from the classic Pac-Man to first-person shooter games like The Walking Dead. Quite a few of the games were pretty outdated but they were still fun.
DJ Komodo definitely knew how to get the party started. The dance floor was bustling with teenagers hyped up on hyphy music for the entire night. While he stuck to mostly hip hop music for most of the night, students spent the last half an hour dancing to pop and EDM music.
Whether you spent the night dancing away with your boo or shooting at zombies in the arcade, there was something for everyone. The World Awaits was definitely a night to remember.
Prom felt relatively short, but I guess you can say that we were having too much fun to notice.
"
The dance floor started filling up around 8:30 and people were dancing up until it was time to leave the venue.
When the arcade opened at 10:00 students rushed in, eager to play games and laser tag.
Cocoanut Grove's dining hall.
All photos courtesy of SC Galleon