This Friday, March 1st, South and the National Honors Art Society is hosting its very own Panther Gala. The Panther Gala is a collection of wearable art designed, created, and worn by students and artists here at South. This year the Gala will be held in the Atrium from 7 – 9 p.m. Along with the show, participating students will have the opportunity to win any of the awards for their outfits including the Traditional Fashion and Sewing award, the Wearable Art & Cosplay award, and the Best of Show award, all with accompanying cash prizes. Anyone interested in competing will need to pay a $5 entrance fee.

This is the second year South has hosted the Panther Gala, after a successful first year, they are looking forward to another great performance. Panther Gala is organized like a traditional gala with three judges composed of teachers here at South to determine the best competitors. Kaelyn Marcum, a senior at South and former competitor said that she always prepares by “drawing it out, [she’ll] create a checklist of all the items [she] needs and [she] always make sure to keep track of what [she’s] spending… thrifting is very important for this.” Each student develops their own plan for the competition which is one of the key parts of the event. Inspiration is yet another large factor for the Gala and junior, Z finds their inspiration from theater and old props. Z said that they “are looking forward to seeing everybody’s talent and how they choose to express their form.” Students often devote a lot of time and money to these projects, which is clear to see from last year’s projects. Almost all outfits are created completely by students, from the sewing, the design, even the idea itself, everything is student-made. Spectators should expect a well put together event that exhibits some of South’s top artists and their creativity. “is that- It’s just so cool to say that, ‘oh yeah- I made that.’” Marcum said.