After a stay at home order was implemented worldwide, one Kent State fashion student decided to host her quarantine party while also following social distancing rules and regulations. 

Once COVID-19 cases started appearing in the United States, social distancing rules and regulations were put into effect in an attempt to stop further spread of the virus. 

Junior fashion merchandising student Kit Pandolfo hosted her quarantine birthday party on May 16 which consisted of her immediate family and closest friends after being inspired by a post on Instagram.

“I saw somebody on Instagram had a tea party inside with their family, and it was super cute,” Pandolfo said. “I knew this was something I wanted to do but a bit fancier, so it gave us a reason to dress up on my birthday.” 

When coming up with the theme for the party, Pandolfo wanted to showcase something that she loved. Originally, the theme of the party was going to be based around her favorite video game, Bloons Tower Defense. 

Pandolfo said she has a personal connection with this game because it’s how she stays connected with her friends and boyfriend who live in different states. 

Eventually, the idea got scrapped, and she went with a tea party theme instead. 

“Every night during the quarantine, my little sister and I would call our two friends, and we would just play the game with them,” Pandolfo said.  

After the quaranTEA party theme was set, Pandolfo said she wanted to make sure she was following all the social distancing rules and regulations so there was no cross-contamination.

Pandolfo said she tackled the problem head-on and got to work. 

First, she took some of her old pink drapes and cut them in half three times to make six individual placemats, since that’s how many guests were going to attend. She also provided everyone with their own plate and cup, reducing the spread of germs.

The biggest challenge Pandolfo faced was the main spread of her party which included pastries, cookies, scones, candy and more. 

“I was a little bit concerned about germs being spread, especially when people went to grab food,” Pandolfo said. “Eventually, we figured only one person would grab at a time while using tongs, so no one touches the food with their bare hands.” 

Although Pandolfo was not able to have the Bloons Tower Defense theme for her party, her brother, Nando Pandolfo, surprised her with a real-life version of the game.

Kit Pandolfo said she was incredibly grateful to her brother for surprising her with something so thoughtful.

“The thought that kept rolling around was how I was going to make her the monkey in her favorite game, and that’s when I came up with the idea,” Nando Pandolfo said. 

As a special thanks to everyone for showing up to her party, Kit Pandolfo said she provided party favors, goody bags and an assortment of teas to stay on theme. 

“I was really happy that I was able to spend my special day with my friends and family while still being safe and mindful of the virus,” Kit Pandolfo said.

 Andre Claudio covers fashion. Contact him at [email protected].