Photo by Elizabeth Robinson

Prom.

The word itself incites memories of fancy dresses, suits, limousines and wild after parties.

In recent years, however, prom has become a popular party theme for fundraisers, charities and parties for those who missed their high school proms. In celebration of Residence Hall Association week, Ross Residence Hall will sponsor a Thrift Store Prom open to all Drake students and free of cost.

Sophomore Kylie Rush, Ross communications coordinator, suggested the idea to RHA at the beginning of the year after hearing about a similar event held at South Dakota State University.

“A ton of my friends back home go to SDSU, and they held a Thrift Store Prom last year,” Rush said. “After seeing all the photos on Facebook and hearing about what an amazing time they had, I knew that I had to make it my mission to have one here at Drake before I graduated.”

The Thrift Store Prom will be held in the Morehouse ballroom tomorrow from 7-11:30 p.m. and includes a DJ, a crowning of a king and queen and free food.  With the theme “Drake Through the Ages,” students are encouraged to dig through the decades and wear a creative outfit.

“Who can say ‘no’ to a chance to actually wear out a leisure suit or an ‘80s prom dress with puffy sleeves?” said sophomore Kelsey Johnson, a member of the Ross Executive Council.

There are many thrift stores around Des Moines that students can visit to find attire for this dance including the Disabled American Veterans, Goodwill, Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul. Each of these thrift shops is relatively close to campus.

Although this event is only being sponsored by one residence hall, the event has already raised a lot of interest among the student body. Different residence halls and organizations at Drake have hosted dances in the past; however, the Thrift Store Prom gives a twist to the traditional dance by encouraging attendees to get their attire from local thrift stores.

“I’ve heard a lot of buzz about the Thrift Store Prom from my residents,” said junior Crawford RA Jessica Mattes. “Prom was not too long ago for most of the first-years, and it will be fun for them to recreate the memories with their new college friends.”

Although this prom will have many elements of a high school prom, there will be some obvious differences. While a traditional prom is black-tie formal, this prom will incorporate a wide array of ensembles from throughout the decades all bought at thrift stores.

“A friend of mine found a really awesome dress at St. Vincent de Paul,” Johnson said. “Thrift stores are just beginning to bring out the gems.”

Another difference between the Thrift Store Prom and a traditional prom is that students do not need to find a date. It is encouraged to come with friends and branch out to meet new people.

“Our high school proms were all about having a date,” Rush said. “You were kind of expected to dance with them all night, but the Thrift Store Prom won’t be like that. We encourage students to come with their friends and just cut loose.”

Other than Goodwill…

When one thinks of shopping at a thrift store, Goodwill tends to be the first location to come to mind. There are actually several other options for thrift shopping in Des Moines:

DAV Thrift Store:

2627 E. University,

515-262-3850

Bargain Basket:

520 East 6th St.,

515-246-8545

Dorthea’s Closet Vintage:

1733 Grand Ave.,

515-288-9982

Not New Shop:

705 E. University Ave.,

515-266-7610

Salvation Army Thrift Store

133 E. 2nd St.,

515-243-4277