Unlike last year, there will be a prom this spring, but with some changes due to Covid-19, including limiting attendance only to seniors.

The dance will take on April 24 at the Children’s Museum on the near Northside. Junior Class faculty moderators Mrs. Lisa Blamey and Ms. Laurie O’Brien will be in charge of organizing the event and distributing information to students.

For some juniors, it was a disappointment to learn that the administration would allow only members of the Class of 2021 to attend prom. Blamey noted that the decision by the administration ultimately came down to making sure that the seniors had the most optimal and safe experience this year, as juniors will be able to attend prom next year when they are seniors.

While it may be more than a few years since anyone attending prom has been to the Children’s Museum, students will be able to take advantage of the venue, as the facility is allowing access to three indoor exhibits and two outdoor exhibits. “The outdoor exhibits are going to be basketball and golf, and the indoor exhibits will include the first two levels of the museum, and then the carousel, science, and a new D.C. Superheroes exhibit,” Blamey said.

Traditionally the Junior Class officers are the individuals with whom Blamey and O’Brien, but this year the Senior Class officers will provide their input as well, as they and their classmates will be the only students attending prom. “I don’t think there is any difference in how we go about planning,” Blamey said when asked how organizing a prom during a pandemic compares to past years. She added, “It’s similar to past years with picking menus and picking a theme, and this year we don’t have transportation, so we don’t have to worry about that.”

The theme for this year’s prom, Moonlight Mask-arade, makes a play on mask wearing, and students will wear masks as expected over their noses and mouth, instead of over their eyes as would be the case in a traditional masquerade dance.

A few regulations this year will be in place that are meant to ensure student safety. For one, there will be no buses, and students will have to find their own transportation. Prom, which will start at 7  and end up 9:30 p.m. will require students to arrive at the Children’s Museum before 7:30 and they will not be allowed to leave until 9. Additionally, seniors who go to prom on April 24 will be required to attend their classes online the following week.