Ohio Union Activities Board brings prom to college

The Ohio Union Activities Board will host the school dance college students never had with Once Upon A Ball, a black-tie event formatted similarly to a prom and after-prom event. Credit: Courtesy of Casey Petrae

The Ohio Union Activities Board will host the school dance college students never would’ve otherwise had with Once Upon A Ball, a black-tie event formatted similarly to a prom, and an after-prom event. 

OUAB will collaborate with Bad Singers Karaoke Club, Ohio State’s first and only karaoke group, to bring the dance to students, Casey Petrae, a third-year in finance and director of spirit and traditions for OUAB, said. The event will be complete with a DJ and an LED-lit dance floor in the Archie M. Griffin Grand Ballroom in the Ohio Union from April 7 from 7-11 p.m.

“We wanted to make sure that the ballroom feels really inviting to students,” Petrae said. “When you look at your typical prom, you see dancing and such, but we really wanted it escalated into more of a college version.”

Petrae said OUAB recognized there were many students at Ohio State who never had the chance to experience a high school prom reminiscent of what is commonly seen in movies.

“We recognized the need that students really needed some sort of, like, prom event in college,” he said. “We’re bringing it in as a ball because we don’t want it to be your cliche high school prom.”

OUAB will cater to an older audience beyond just the dance floor and host a casino complete with glow-in-the-dark games such as blackjack and roulette in the main ballroom from 7-10 p.m., Petrae said. Students will be able to gamble with raffle tickets and purchase prizes from the prize gallery with them, he said.

Petrae said the night is all about creating an atmosphere in which students feel special. Selfie stations along with professional photographers will be available to take prom-style pictures of students in front of backdrops designed by OUAB volunteers.

“There will be a red carpet main entrance to make students feel special and have that memorable experience that a lot of them probably missed out on in high school,” Krystal Vielman, assistant director for OUAB, said.

The after-prom will take place in the Performance Hall on the lower level of the Ohio Union from 8-11 p.m. Bad Singers Karaoke and a live karaoke band from Columbus will accompany students interested in being in the spotlight, Petrae said. 

“It’s very rare as a college student that you have these really big dress-up moments,” Vielman said. “I think specifically in our after-prom, we decided to go with the live karaoke band just because you get that opportunity to be on stage and feel like a celebrity and get to sing along with a band playing behind you while lights are shining on you.”

OUAB hopes to use this event to bring students together and allow them to spend time with friends and enjoy themselves before the end of the year, Petrae said. 

“We’re getting closer to the end of the school year right now, and we just really wanted to cap off the school year with an event that is very memorable,” Petrae said. 

University Catering will provide an assortment of hors d’oeuvres for the event, including pretzel bites, chicken wings and sliders, in addition to vegan and vegetarian options, Petrae said. Students must reserve free tickets online and will get a wristband once they enter the event so they can float between the two floors.

“You really get your moment in the spotlight,” Vielman said. “We are really focused on trying to create a memorable experience that students can feel like, ‘If this is the one night that I’m going to remember in college, it was a great one to remember.’ ”