A big thank you to Herb and Felicia Gray, Digital Divas and The 100 Black Men of Greater Charlotte for putting together a fabulous ending to the CIAA weekend with their party at The Sunset Club. I loved the refreshing demographic of attendees at this event. This party definitely proved that you can be far removed from your college days at a CIAA school, and still know how to get down. Speaking of which, I think I’m still dancing. I am such a tool for not remembering the DJ’s name, but he did his thing — mixing old school R&B with new school rap with house music with, randomly, Hall & Oates and Wham! Yes, Wham! But it worked, and it kept the party going.

The cigar lounge area out on the terrace was a nice place to catch a break from the crowd inside, and the heated lamps did a lot to minimize the sharp cold air. The waitresses there could not have been any friendlier or more attentive. It really made a difference in terms of the overall atmosphere of the event.

I had not been in The Sunset Club since they remodeled the interior. While I liked the previous design well enough, their new set-up, though more cramped than before, certainly gives you options: hang out at the protruding bar, make your way around the dance floor, relax at a reserved table across the way, or as I said before, enjoy a nice stogie on the patio. It would have been such a bummer if my choice for a final CIAA party would have bombed. Glad it didn’t.