Queen’s Cater: A B.Y.O.P. Affair

Queens Cater, a program created by the current Miss Junior Corinne Vaughn, was designed to give the young ladies on campus something positive to do on a Thursday evening. Initially pushed back due to unforeseen circumstances, Queens Cater was rescheduled and held in Boley Hall on October 1, 2015 from 7 until 9 pm.
B.Y.O.P meaning, bring your own polish, was the theme of this event. Ladies were invited to come out and enjoy music, free manicures, and the company of one another in a relaxed environment. Vaughn and her crew had a select few polishes to choose from, hence the invitation for girls to bring their own.
Vaughn stated, “I zipped from Zumba on the patio, to my own event and to my surprise, there was no one in attendance. I can admit that I became discouraged. I said that I would be doing manicures from 7-9 pm, and I meant it. I sat there until people began to show up.”
Vaughn and her hired crew set up a table for polish and designs along with a two tables where the technicians would work. The student technicians included; Vaughn, Onyx Joseph, and Nia Minor-Clark. The man of the event was Lydell McLemore. McLemore assured that all clients were listed on the sign in sheet; also, he provided surveys to them as well.
When asked what she initially hoped to achieve during this event, Vaughn responded with a smile and said, “I want to raise the moral of our population of young women. Helping them to realize we are all Queens, and should carry ourselves as such. The Royal Court is not some secret society; we are just like the other young women on campus.”
Though the flyer suggested that the crew would only be offering manicures until nine o’clock, they were still finishing up their last clients at eleven. The crew made sure that everyone was satisfied with their work before allowing them to take a step away from their seats. Vaughn hired perfectionists. There wasn’t a single client who complained about the work of one of the crew members.
While reading the surveys that clients were issued, the strengths of the event were as follows; free manicures, welcoming attitudes, friendly staff, and relaxing hand massages. The weaknesses included; not all of the typical nail services were offered, some songs weren’t appealing and the scents of the salon.
While all of those cons made good sense, people didn’t take into consideration that in order to do nails in a real salon, technicians must be licensed. Also, not everyone shared the same taste in music.
“I feel as though my event was a success, not only because people showed up, but because people stuck around to further enjoy their experience,” stated Vaughn. In attendance, were Miss Southern JaMya McGee, and Miss Senior Charon Johnson.