On Thursday, Oct. 31, the Secular Student Alliance (SSA) held the Vampire Masquerade Ball for the third year. It was held in the Student Union’s Denman Ballroom. Doors opened at 5:30 p.m.;, the event began at 6 p.m. and continued until 9 p.m. The SSA paired up with PERIOD — an organization at UTSA that works toward providing insight on menstruation — with the humanitarian purpose of packing menstrual products and distributing them to those in need.
For those who forgot to bring a mask, there was an assortment of masks available for purchase outside the ballroom. Adjacent to the ticket booth, the event had tables set up with things that attendees could purchase. PERIOD had a table set up with tote bags, friendship bracelets and crochet hats for purchase. There was another table with free stickers and safe sex contraception provided by the SSA.
The night consisted of music and dancing with a “Blood Bank” drink and snack bar. Several rooms were open to attendees with different events. At the PERIOD packing party, attendees assembled care packages of feminine care products. The Neurodivergent Society hosted $1 bingo. There was a room dedicated to vampire movie night with concessions, and another room had free coloring and crafts.
The Vampire Masquerade Ball hosted a costume contest with several categories. The categories consisted of Best Costume Overall, Most Elaborate Vampire, Best Creature, Most Convincing Cosplay, Most Original Costume and Most Cursed Costume. Winners of each category won a skeleton trophy and a gift bag.
The SSA was founded in the fall of 2013 but has existed with similar goals under different names since 2005. The organization aims to provide representation for non-religious students at UTSA; it is open to anyone regardless of faith. The SSA supports political activism and the right to bodily autonomy. Other values that the organization upholds are freedom of the press and separation of church and state. They are also strong advocates for the LGBTQ+ community and their right to exist without discrimination. The SSA hosts a variety of activities for members to get involved. Interested members will have the opportunity to promote secular, ethical values.
PERIOD at UTSA aims to spread awareness on menstruation. Through fundraisers and donation drives, PERIOD strives to make menstrual hygiene more accessible and celebrated. Some events that the organization has held in the past were various packing parties where care packages of menstrual products were assembled and distributed. The organization has also hosted various events with educational information on menstruation.
The night of the ball where eerie met elegance was a fundraiser event open to individuals participating in the organizations and nonparticipants. The purpose of the Vampire Masquerade Ball was to have fun while making a difference and supporting the topics of menstruation and neurodivergence.
