University sophomore Michelle Neal never gets to dress up. She can’t even remember the last time she painted her nails.

“It’s been two years, at least,” she said.

But Saturday night, in a strobe-lit Gateway alumni center, Neal sported a black dress, heels and bright red nail polish for the Sno-ball 2002 Winter Masquerade.

More than 200 students traded their sweatshirts and jeans for dresses and ties for the dance, sponsored by the Student Alumni Leaders.

“It’s a great opportunity for all the different people on campus to come together,” said junior Emily Rasmusson, the group’s president.

The group promoted the dance at residence halls and fraternity and sorority houses and also left fliers around campus.

“I think a lot of people from the dorms and from the greek system are here, but there are some others too,” said sophomore Angela Murphy, who is also part of the group.

“We haven’t gotten to dress up in a while,” said sophomore Lexa Hazelberg.

“There’s no prom here,” said sophomore Lindsey Larson.

Students made like prom kings and queens at the center, dancing, snacking at the dessert bar and belting out Marc Cohn at the karaoke bar.

“It’s just something different to do,” said sophomore Tim O’Connor, who went to the dance with his
girlfriend, freshman Natalia Schroeder. “Getting drunk and going to parties gets old after a while.”

Seniors Seth Nelsen and Elizabeth Porter were veterans at the dance this year, a ballroom-dancing couple who got engaged before the dance last year.

“They don’t play the music we like all the time, but that’s okay,” Nelson said.

Oblivious to the masses grinding to strains of Shaggy and Madonna, the couple shuffled to their own rhythm in the center of the dance floor.

“We just decided to come,” he said. “It’s something really fun that doesn’t happen all of the time.”