Prom in a pandemic: a night to remember
A group of junior students poses for their prom pictures on April 17, 2021.
After the cancellation of prom last year, hopes were high for having the dance this year. To the result of much consideration and planning, prom took place on April 17, 2021 at Cedar Valley Forest in De Soto.
Advertised as “A Night to Remember,” this year’s prom was just that. With all the additional changes to the format, length and other factors, students have differing opinions about the success of prom.
Students were asked to pick one of three time slots to attend prom. Doing this was frustrating for some students as they were unable to see some of their friends at this memorable event.
“It was a bit weird, especially when we first got there,” senior Ciara Sumpter said. “It just didn’t feel the same.”
However, other students were fine with having less students at prom and are grateful they were able to go at all.
“I wasn’t really bothered by the lack of people,” junior Kendan Powers said. “I still was able to go with my friends and have fun.”
Due to the precautions taken in order to minimize the spread of COVID-19, there were additional activities provided to students since dancing was less prominent. These activities included a photo booth and bean bag toss.
“The bean bag toss and photo setup were really fun,” junior Harley Neubauer said. “It was nice to have a few activities to do and extra pictures for memories.”
Since prom was partly outdoors, the temperature was a large factor in the enjoyment of activities.
“We did a little bit of the bean bag toss but it got chilly fast, so not many people were out there for long,” Sumpter said.
When it came to choosing a venue, there were many things to consider. With the final decision being Cedar Valley Forest, students experienced their first dance outside the DHS auxiliary gym.
“The venue was really nice. I enjoyed having it at a more scenic place for pictures and having it different than homecoming,” Neubauer said.
Overall, the DHS students were very pleased with the outcome of this year’s prom and are hopeful to return to a normal school year in the fall with standard DHS activities.
