One of the perks of living with two seniors is getting to share in the joy of end of semester celebrations. As far as senior events go, Damen Ball has got to be one of the most exciting. This dance comes at the end of the spring semester each year as a sort of ‘senior send-off’. Though technically a celebration for those that are graduating, underclassman are welcome to attend if there are any tickets left.

Chicago has countless venues I would have been happy to attend a dance at, and the Museum of Science and Industry wasn’t half bad. For the past few years this museum has served as Damen Ball’s venue of choice and rightfully so. I actually hadn’t visited this museum until Friday night. The building itself is stunning with its long steps and Roman columns, providing a perfectly dramatic entrance to the ball. The extra high ceiling-ed, cross-shaped interior of the museum has a circular center, offering the perfect dance floor. Two of the wings sported long buffet lines of quesadillas, pizza, hot dogs and burgers–which after a quick photo, became our first stop of the night.

Several of the museum’s exhibits were open for students to tour during the ball–the weather exhibit, coal mine and mirror maze. Perfect for those who needed a break from a night of dancing. Though we did find time to scope out the exhibits, my friends and I spent most of our time on the dance floor. The DJ did exceptionally well at keeping people dancing until the ball was over by playing the perfect mix of popular songs and classic throwbacks.

Even if this wasn’t technically a celebration for juniors like myself, Damen Ball was still a perfect way to celebrate the end of the year. I’ll be looking forward to next year when the party will be even more of a celebration for me.

Cheers to the end of the year!