Local Happenings

Drag Returns to CSS

By Molly MacGregor (mmacgregor@css.edu)

April 17, 2025

Performers from Duluth’s drag group, Zenith City Horror, took over Storm’s Den for the fourth annual Queer Student Union (QSU) sponsored drag show, on Saturday, Apr. 5. 

QSU members worked hard to temporarily transform Storm’s Den into a nightclub. The tables were arranged to form three aisles and lamps and string lights cast the performers in a moody, purple glow. 

Miss Cupcake, performer and emcee, said it best when she said: “I’ve never seen Storm’s Den looking so good.” 

The lighting wasn’t the only thing that made the space unique, though. There was a tangible sense of anticipation among the students lined up outside waiting for the doors to open. Tables buzzed with conversations speculating about which familiar queens would return and what songs they’d perform to. 

There is a sense of ritual around the drag show. For many, it’s a way of marking the passage of the school year. For junior Danielle Koperski, the drag show is an annual tradition.  

 “I have been to the drag show every year since freshman year, and I’ve loved it. I like that it’s backing up the values that they say are our values, that we’re welcoming to everyone. I think it’s the most supportive uplifting environment you’ll probably be put into here,” said Koperski. 

Creating a supportive and uplifting space is central to drag. It’s also why QSU sponsors this show and 56 people checked in for the event on SaintsLife. After strutting down the aisle wearing knee-high platform boots and helping herself to free pizza, Miss Cupcake made the intention of the evening clear. 

“Drag is a peaceful protest. Let’s just forget what people think tonight,” she said. 

After this invitation, the space came alive. People began to interact with the performers and the audience and the queens fed off of one another’s energy. 

A crowd favorite was M.C. Rawr, from Minneapolis. She closed out the first half of the program with an acrobatic number to Neon Lights by Demi Lovato. As the beat dropped, the chest of her dress was suddenly lit with neon lights and the crowd positively screamed. Despite the thrilling costume, the most impressive part of the number was a roundoff in four-inch heels. 

While M.C. Rawr’s performance might come close to what people expect at a drag show, a Minecraft number probably is not. As soon as Sissy S’mores entered the room with boxes on their head and arms to look like a Minecraft character, people were immediately laughing. To the tune of a Minecraft movie remix, S’mores led the crowd on a hilarious (and surprisingly heart-wrenching) journey culminating on top of a Storm’s Den high top table. 

The queens took the audience through an impressive spectrum of sweet, upbeat, and funny performances. One minute the crowd was cheering and laughing, and the next minute people were whipping out their phones to wave their flashlights and light up the queer couple performing the love ballad Die with a Smile. Although each performance was wildly unique, the throughline through all of them was a sense of joy, both from the performers and the audience. 

“[The drag show] means a lot to me because I’m queer, especially with how it’s become politicized. It’s fun, it’s a good time. The best way to show people that it’s a harmless good time is to do it and this is a great way to introduce people to it,” said freshman Quinn Feinberg. 

For anyone in the room on Apr. 5, there is no question that people had a good time. Reluctant to end the celebration of queer culture, people lingered afterwards to take pictures with the performers and dance to ABBA. Of course, the evening had to come to an end. The lights came on, the decorations were put away and the tables went back to everyday order. 

If you walked into Storm’s Den the next morning, you’d never know that the drag show happened mere hours before, but Miss Cupcake’s closing words remind us that the effects ripple out far beyond our campus:

“No matter what people say, what laws are passed, it does not erase our existence from this earth. It is up to us to stand for what is good and right.”