Kent State continued its Sex Week festivities Wednesday with its annual drag show.

“We had over 850 people, about 875 with staff and volunteers, which is roughly double the number of this past year,” said John McDermott, the director of programming for Kent Interhall Council and coordinator of Sex Week.

With music blaring, lights flashing and performers dancing on the stage, the audience was engaged despite the main guest being unable to make the event. Aja, a drag queen from season nine of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” was scheduled to perform, but due to medical complications, had to cancel. Another queen was able to perform in her place.

“Around 4:45 p.m. I received a text asking if I could perform in the show tonight,” said Anora Andragina, a senior business major and queen from Kent State. “I was originally just planning on volunteering or helping in some way; I had no idea I would be performing.”

After only having a few hours to prepare, Andragina performed two different sets along with the other five queens, some from the Akron area. One of the queens invited students to come down closer to the stage during the first set but were later asked by security to move because it was a possible fire hazard.

KIC was pleased with how well the show went this year.

“It was unfortunate that Aja couldn’t join us,” McDermott said. “But we were still very happy to host all of the queens and were very happy with the great turnout.”

Rachel Karas iis a general assignment reporter. Contact her at [email protected].