A night filled with dancing, sushi, decades, decor and, of course, the university’s favorite mascot, Gnarls.

The New School Student Activities Board hosted its first prom last month as tribute to the students who weren’t able to have a prom in high school due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The free event on April 30 offered three venues for students to celebrate and dance to a live band and a DJ, as well as free pizza and sushi and a guaranteed Gnarls Narwhal mascot appearance. 

The prom featured a “Through the Decades” theme with decor inspired by the 1960s through the 2000s. 

Some students anticipated the prom for weeks, only to be disappointed by the actual event, which they said did not meet their expectations and was poorly organized. 

Mantika Mehra, a first-year at Parsons School of Design studying Strategic Design and Management, had high expectations as someone who never had a prom and dreamt of the big day while growing up. 

“The event was very thoughtful and I appreciate the committee’s hard work and dedication towards the event,” Mehra said. “The execution was not great.”

Some of the confusion stemmed from dueling venue locations. The prom was originally planned to be at Arnold Hall in the Theresa Lang Center, and set to begin at 7:30 p.m. However, when RSVP’s began adding up, the Prom Committee planned for a second location at Starr Foundation Hall in the University Center beginning an hour later, according to a student on the committee who wished to remain anonymous. The second prom was referred to as an after-party to the first prom, and both were set to end at midnight. The Prom Committee consisted of a group of students and staff on the Student Activity Board, a subgroup within Student Leadership and Involvement. The Student Activity Board brainstormed the idea, reserved the spaces, picked the theme and spread the word, the anonymous student said.

“I think the main confusion that went with the prom was the two venues,” Mehra said. “When I arrived, it was chaotic as people were unsure which venue would have the most people and the main party. I feel if there was one venue, the prom would have been more lively, instead of having 10 people in each hall.” 

As a special surprise on the day of the prom, the prom committee announced an after-after party for New School students aged 21 and older at Bait and Hook, a local seafood bar in the East Village. Alcohol was served, along with free food like tacos and fries. Music played well into the night as many students danced to celebrate their makeshift prom. 

Mehra and her friends kept a positive attitude but left within 45 minutes after taking a few pictures and slow dancing with Gnarls at Arnold Hall.

“Gnarls was the highlight of the night, but unfortunately did not save the night completely as there was hair in my pizza and disappointment in my prom,” Mehra said. “I guess it lives up to prom’s standards: overrated.”

Harsha Gupta, a second-year at Parsons studying Strategic Design and Management, said she enjoyed the night, though its execution was flawed.

“The prom went amazing for sure,” Gupta said. “It was well thought out, however it missed execution. I definitely had fun hopping from location to location — the after-after party of course — and having a stroll throughout the city.” 

Gupta said the long wait to get in, the lack of enough food and the scattered distribution of people between locations were areas that the university could improve upon.

However, she said she enjoyed the ability to meet with friends for an event after COVID-19 had prevented in-person events for so long.

“I was there for an experience of a lifetime and I surely had one, especially after a long COVID break,” Gupta said.

The student activities board said the prom was a success for their first time organizing such an event and that they will continue to make adjustments for a better experience moving forward, and hope to plan more events like the prom in the future. 

“For the first ever prom, it was very successful,” the anonymous member of the Prom Committee said. “The more and more it takes place, hopefully through the years it will continue to improve.”

Some students thought prom was a great addition to The New School. 

Gi Barracks, a fourth-year student at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts studying psychology, felt the event was bittersweet as it was their last ever prom. 

“I spent the night with some amazing people.” Barracks said. “I love my friends [at The New School] and they make every event memorable.”