After the cancellation of prom last year, students are wondering if this year’s prom will take place. While prom coordinators wish they could give an answer, the truth is that they don’t really know. 

Planning a high school prom in the midst of a pandemic is no easy feat, as circumstances are subject to change on a daily basis. However, Mrs. Lisa Blamey, the Junior Class moderator and prom coordinator, and her team of juniors are working to do everything in their power to give students a prom. 

But for now, only time will tell. 

It is also unclear how prom would look if one does take place. As of now, all attendees would be required to wear masks along with their formal attire. In addition to this, students would have to socially distance, which would be challenging due to limited space. Social distancing would be especially difficult when going to and from the currently undetermined prom venue. In years past.

The school has provided transportation from the Hill to the dance. Students were filed onto buses where they sat squished together in pairs. This is not an ideal situation during a pandemic. 

But with prom traditionally occurring in April, no one knows for certain what kind of safety measures will be in place. With more and more people receiving the Pfizer, Moderna or possibly the Johnson & Johnson Covid 19 vaccine, perhaps mass gatherings will be permitted by the time prom rolls around. 

While there are many factors that might make having a prom difficult, not having one would likely disappoint many upperclassmen, specifically the seniors who have never been able to attend prom. 

Senior Class officer Maura Flood said, “I’d definitely be pretty bummed if we couldn’t have prom this year. It’d be crazy if the Class of 2021 never attended a prom during their entire high school days.” 

Last year, Flood, who was serving as the class president at the time, was a part of the prom planning committee. However, the committee’s work ultimately didn’t come to fruition. She said, “We had a couple meetings during flex where we figured out what theme, food, and decorations we would have. Also, a couple times a week we would sell donuts to help fund the event.”

But despite these setbacks, Flood is still optimistic about prom. “Hopefully, we can have some sort of event where we can celebrate in whatever form it takes so we can still be safe,” she said. 

In the event that prom is unable to take place, perhaps the administration would be willing to hold some kind of event in its place. Once it became clear that the annual Winter Formal would be too much of a health risk to hold, teachers set up a senior bonfire. Instead of getting dressed up and dancing in the Mimms Gym, seniors swapped their suits and dresses for Christmas sweaters and winter coats to gather around bonfires in the senior parking lot.

For now, however, no one is quite sure what prom will look like this year. All upperclassmen can do is hope for the best and continue to follow the Covid 19 safety guidelines.