At a typical university, October weekends might mean wild Friday nights at a frat house before the big football game on Saturday.
At NYU last Friday night, there was a drag queen party.
The Diva Ball, held last Friday as part of Pride Month at NYU, featured musical performances, free food and a DJ, and was mainly attended by upperclassmen. The ball was in the Eisner and Lubin Auditorium at the Kimmel Center.
"Why would you not want to come?" CAS senior Sarah Fields said, " ... Diva Ball, duh. Dressing up - amazing."
Attendees were divided over whether or not the ball promoted the queer community at NYU, or made students more aware of its presence.
CAS senior Chidelia Edochie said she thinks the ball is a great opportunity to show the fun side of the queer community. At the beginning of the event, she said she hoped a lot of non-queer people would come and that the crowd could "mix and match."
"[I enjoy] seeing everybody come as they aren't, especially for the queer community we sometimes feel the need to fit into categories," Edochie said.
Edochie came to the ball dressed in a 1920s-esque red flapper dress. She said her favorite part of the ball was the opportunity it gave everyone to play a different role. She added that the Diva Ball can break apart popular categories, like butch or femme, and gives attendees the chance to play dress-up and be a different person for a night.
But Gallatin freshman Brian Niedfeldt said the ball seemed to be mostly attended by people who were already knowledgeable about queer at NYU.
"Those who would come are those who are already very aware of [the community]," he said.
Niedfeldt came to see what the event was all about, but was one of a few students dressed in normal street clothes.
"I thought it sounded like fun," he said. "I don't have any drag clothes though ... yet."
The event began with a performance by the Brooklyn-based musician Mia Riddle. She and her band decided to perform last-minute and didn't exactly fit with the "drag theme." Yet the crowd seemed to enjoy the show, and danced along.
"That's only the second time anyone's ever danced at our show," Riddle said onstage.
Regardless of sexual preference, everyone appeared to have fun at the dance.
CAS senior Michelle Mondesir said, "It's just a good time."
Mary Jane Weedman is a staff writer. E-mail her at features@nyunews.com.
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