Connor Donlin and Coral Munkittrick made memories at prom that will stick. Instead of the traditional tux and gown, the two Santa Fe High School students showed up at the Best Western Plus Gateway Grand hotel on Friday wearing clothes made from duct tape.
“It was rather labor-intensive — hours of just leaning over a table and taping,” said Donlin, an 18-year-old senior. “I lost many hours of sleep over it, but it was fantastic at the same time.”
The unusual ensemble was inspired by a Duck Tape-sponsored scholarship contest that will award the winning couple with $5,000 scholarships.
Unraveled, the clothes consisted of 33 rolls — 930 yards — of beige, blue, gold and clear tape.
Overall, Donlin said his suit took about 80 hours to finish, more than double the time Munkittrick’s dress took.
“I have many, many more layers than she does,” Donlin said.
Munkittrick, a 17-year-old junior, hot-glued embellishments to her dress and, on Friday night, pinned a Duck Tape butterfly to her hair. Even her matching blue-and-beige nail art was fashioned from tape.
After they submit photos to the contest, Donlin and Munkittrick will wait until June, when judges will post the top 10 entries online. People can vote for their favorites, and the winners will be announced in July.
Regardless of the outcome, Nancy Gillman, a Santa Fe High School English teacher, said the couple set a precedent for the school.
“I heard of the scholarship several years ago, and I didn’t believe it,” she said. “[Donin] and his girlfriend were the first to … ever follow through.”
Contact Kelcee Griffis at kgriffis@alligator.org.
Santa Fe High School junior Coral Munkittrick, 17, and senior Connor Donlin, 18, wore outfits made of duct tape to their prom Friday. The students are participating in the Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest.
