The tempting smell of pasta, the oh-so-catchy “Cupid Shuffle” and smiling faces all lingered in the atmosphere as Student Council kicked off the third annual New Friends Prom last Friday, March 28.

Invited guests from Edwardsville and other surrounding schools such as Granite City and Alton appeared in their formal attire ready to enjoy a meal and dance to hit songs.

This year’s them was “Candy Land.” The commons was decorated with various candy assortments, cardboard gingerbread men, colorful mountains and life-size cotton candy. A photo booth was also set up for the guests and their families to remember this joyous night.

The evening commenced when Student Council announced each invited member’s name and had them walk through a “candy land” themed tunnel to a crowd full of cheering people.

Followed by a gourmet pasta and salad dinner, guests and friends hit the dance floor, which seemed to be the highlight of the night. The songs ranged from new ballads such as Pharrell’s “Happy,” to classics like the “Cha Cha Slide.”

“Everybody looked like they were having so much fun on the dance floor,” junior Lillian Parks said. “Dancing the best time and Student Council did a very good job of playing enjoyable music.”

At the dance, nobody was afraid to dance with each other. “Everybody danced with everybody,” Parks said. “ I loved how happy the environment was.”

Student Council members also enjoyed the time they spent preparing for the event.

“This is truly my favorite event of the year,” junior Student Council member Puja Patel said. “We spent a lot of time preparing for this event just to make sure that it would be special for the guests.”

Working on the decorations for nearly a month, Student council was pleased with the results they saw on the Friday evening.

“To see the faces of the guests light up like that was truly enlightening,” junior Student Council member Cassie Patrick said. “We worked really hard on this event, and it felt amazing to see it all come to life.”