With all of the different types of emotions that people can feel, prom has the potential to evoke every single one of them: the excitement of dress shopping, the stress of planning an event for 900 people and even the sentimentality of seeing friends you’ve known for years and knowing you’re all together for one of the last times.

Senior Grace Asper says, “I think that my favorite part of getting ready was taking pictures with my friends. It was really nice to see everyone all together.”

Prom can be many things, but whether an intro to large-scale event planning or a final opportunity to make memories with people that you grew up with, it’s something different to everyone.

Frenzied preparations for prom are rivaled by only a few events: homecomings, quinceñeras, and weddings. The pressure to find the perfect combination of shoes, accessories and a dress has become so prevalent that entire Facebook pages are dedicated to ensuring no two people show up in the same ensemble. Customers needing to find the perfect prom attire flood local boutiques by the hundreds, and some attendees like senior Andrew Astorino go as far as to make their own dresses over the course of several months to even years.

Another big part of prom— arguably the most important— is all of the time and effort that goes into making the night successful and memorable. Every detail is considered, from finding a venue large enough to fit everyone to deciding which type of straws to buy. With post-pandemic party planning supplies being pricier than ever before, prom preparations prove to be tougher to manage than the previous year. According to sponsor of the planning committee Kristen Ray, pre-COVID price-per-plate was around $65, and has since jumped to $77.

Supervisor of the Prom Planning Committee Kirsten Anzalone agrees, admitting, , “It’s difficult to put something together that can accommodate such a large number of people while still allowing students on the planning committee to maintain their creative freedom.”

Although designed to be pleasant and memorable for all, everyone has a different experience and gets something unique out of attending.

Senior and member of the prom planning committee Priyanka Shah says that after last year’s prom, the seniors wanted something elegant and classic with better music. She mentioned that planning the current prom was almost like planning a mini wedding, and has high hopes that combining all of the feedback from last year and preparations for this year will result in an enjoyable experience for all of those involved.

Anzalone says,

“Prom is a memorable event, whether for good or bad, but it’s really one of the last times you’re with your senior class together.

And you’re celebrating, not just this one evening, but these four years where you grew into an adult and you’re about to embark now on this amazing journey to adulthood, that I would try to be very present and in the moment at prom, and turn your phone down and go out on that dance floor and just try to have fun because it will really be the last time you’re all together.”

With all of the different types of emotions that people can feel, prom has the potential to evoke every single one of them: the excitement of dress shopping, the stress of planning an event for 900 people and even the sentimentality of seeing friends you’ve known for years and knowing you’re all together for one of the last times.

Senior Grace Asper says, “I think that my favorite part of getting ready was taking pictures with my friends. It was really nice to see everyone all together.”

Prom can be many things, but whether an intro to large-scale event planning or a final opportunity to make memories with people that you grew up with, it’s something different to everyone.

Frenzied preparations for prom are rivaled by only a few events: homecomings, quinceñeras, and weddings. The pressure to find the perfect combination of shoes, accessories and a dress has become so prevalent that entire Facebook pages are dedicated to ensuring no two people show up in the same ensemble. Customers needing to find the perfect prom attire flood local boutiques by the hundreds, and some attendees like senior Andrew Astorino go as far as to make their own dresses over the course of several months to even years.

Another big part of prom— arguably the most important— is all of the time and effort that goes into making the night successful and memorable. Every detail is considered, from finding a venue large enough to fit everyone to deciding which type of straws to buy. With post-pandemic party planning supplies being pricier than ever before, prom preparations prove to be tougher to manage than the previous year. According to sponsor of the planning committee Kristen Ray, pre-COVID price-per-plate was around $65, and has since jumped to $77.

Supervisor of the Prom Planning Committee Kirsten Anzalone agrees, admitting, , “It’s difficult to put something together that can accommodate such a large number of people while still allowing students on the planning committee to maintain their creative freedom.”

Although designed to be pleasant and memorable for all, everyone has a different experience and gets something unique out of attending.

Senior and member of the prom planning committee Priyanka Shah says that after last year’s prom, the seniors wanted something elegant and classic with better music. She mentioned that planning the current prom was almost like planning a mini wedding, and has high hopes that combining all of the feedback from last year and preparations for this year will result in an enjoyable experience for all of those involved.

Anzalone says,

“Prom is a memorable event, whether for good or bad, but it’s really one of the last times you’re with your senior class together.

And you’re celebrating, not just this one evening, but these four years where you grew into an adult and you’re about to embark now on this amazing journey to adulthood, that I would try to be very present and in the moment at prom, and turn your phone down and go out on that dance floor and just try to have fun because it will really be the last time you’re all together.”