No Scrubs or Sweats for Students at the Swanky Soiree

As vice president of the executive board of the Salus University student council and chair of the Campus Activities Committee (CAC), Amma Dwomoh ‘25OD, passed the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia and wondered whether it would make a nice venue for the student’s annual Salus Soiree.

Turns out it would indeed.

“I looked on the Please Touch Museum website, and I thought, ‘Wow, this is going to be really nice,’” said Dwomoh.

The event, held Nov. 18, 2022, attracted approximately 225 students — all transported to the museum from the University’s Elkins Park, Pennsylvania campus in four school buses — all dressed to the nines and ready to party.

Joining Dwomoh on the student planning committee for the soiree were Sarah Elkouram ‘25OD, Kristen Blake ‘25OD and Denise Aninakwah ‘25OD.

“There were some timing issues, but we pulled it all together,” said Elkouram. “I was looking forward to the food and seeing everyone together. It’s a night to dress up and everyone should enjoy it.”

Dwomoh added that the current state of inflation played a role as costs, particularly for food, were higher and the committee had to stay within a budget. Blake said another big challenge was making sure all details were coordinated with the Please Touch Museum staff.

“Picking the food menu was challenging, trying to make sure everyone’s preferences were taken into consideration,” said Blake, who was excited to ride the museum’s carousel with her boyfriend, both of them sporting matching purple duds for the evening.

For a change, the students got to see each other in something other than scrubs and sweats. It was a nice change of pace, according to Aninakwah.

“Everyone looks really good,” she said. “I loved all the long dresses and the hairstyles. It’s nice to see everybody outside of class, laughing and having a good time.”

The soiree has always been an opportunity for students to step away from the rigors of graduate school for an evening, dress up and spend time with students across all Salus programs.

“Students get a chance to let their hair down,” said Dwomoh. “For me, in the traditional Doctor of Optometry program, we have been doing practicals back-to-back and have had many exams. I know the other programs probably have the same things going on. This is an opportunity to just relax and enjoy time together. And, I think that’s really important.”