Prom in Pandemonium

An inside look into how prom has been organized during a pandemic

The theme of the 2021 senior prom is “enchanted forest.” PromComm has worked hard planning to decorate the Jefferson football field, where the event will be held, to the likeness of a magical atmosphere.

Rhea Premanand, Staff Writer
May 16, 2021

The annual senior prom is an event that Jefferson seniors look forward to. Due to unexpected hurdles brought on by the circumstances facing this school year, it was uncertain what this year’s dance would look like. The committee organizing the dance however, referred to as PromComm, has been working tirelessly these past few months to make the Jefferson senior prom tradition a reality.

Due to the constant changes and announcements that have been made due to the COVID-19 pandemic, planning this senior milestone event has been somewhat of a roller coaster for committee members.

“It’s honestly been pretty hectic and slow. COVID restrictions have been constantly changing so it’s been difficult to plan. But other than that, it’s fun! It’s like planning a massive party,” committee member Catie Granum said.

COVID has also presented several challenges for PromComm, who has responded to such sudden, fast-paced changes by preparing for and readily adapting as new announcements are published.

“We’ve gotten pretty good at changing our plans on the spot. All we could do this year is be open to change and do the best with what we had,” committee member Emma Barnes said.

In order to accommodate social distancing guidelines, adjustments have needed to be made to this year’s prom as well.

“We’ve had to split our prom into two groups, and we’ve split up our available space into something that will look nice for attendees,” Granum added.

The PromComm committee shared that frequent communication with the Jefferson administrative faculty was also key to ensuring smooth adjustments throughout the planning process.

“It’s also just been a lot of communication with admin since everything is so new, so shout out to Mr. Frank for helping us out along the way and aiding us in adapting to the new pandemic rules!” committee member Meghna Sharma said.

Though many new obstacles have been faced and adjustments have been made accordingly throughout this year’s planning, there are still many things that have not changed and Jefferson seniors may look forward to in prom, such as socializing with friends that have not been seen for sometime, and the incredible decorations and booths that are being planned to be set up.

The tricky challenges presented by the pandemic have not dampened the spirit and enthusiasm of the committee members.

“It’s super rewarding to be on the committee that plans one of the most anticipated events of high school, and especially with the pandemic, it’s even more important that the event is special because of how much we already lost,” Sharma said.

Jefferson seniors will be able to attend the enchanted-forest-themed prom night on Saturday, May 22, as a memorable way to commemorate the end of high school.

“The real point of prom is to spend time with people you care about as we say goodbye to high school,” Barnes said.