Prom has been a staple of the American high school experience for generations. However, due to the pandemic, throwing an exciting prom has been a difficult task the past few years. Chapel Hill High School’s Junior Council took on the challenge and created a prom that was held on Saturday, May 21 and was themed after the Roaring Twenties for this year’s seniors and juniors.
In order to create a fun prom for Chapel Hill High School’s student body, the Junior Council had to tackle many issues.
“The planning process for this year’s prom certainly wasn’t easy,” Junior Council co-president Ryan Kilgallen said. “We had to tackle a considerable number of obstacles within the planning process, relating to Covid and otherwise, and there were certain aspects of planning that we had to navigate for what felt like the first time, since our last true prom was in 2019.”
While it might have been a challenge creating a prom this year, many juniors and seniors reported that they enjoyed the experience the 2022 prom offered.
“I think my favorite memory was seeing all of my friends and briefly freaking out about how amazing they all looked,” senior Olivia Warner said.
The entertainment for the night included a live band, a DJ, photo booths, a dance floor, an assortment of food and even mocktails.
“I personally enjoyed the photo booths and dancing with my friends,” Kilgallen said.
While several upperclassmen were appreciative that they were able to have a prom this year, some found themselves disappointed that the prom was being held in the courtyard instead of a traditional venue.
“Having prom at a venue would have made prom much more memorable,” senior Natalie Fleener said.
The lack of venue has been credited to several factors.
“The first reason was that we were limited just to the Chapel Hill area. We had discussed the idea of having it at a venue outside of this area but due to district obligations, we were told to limit it within our area,” co-president of the Junior Council Kathy Bolanos Villanueva said. “The second reason was due to our budget. With our budget consisting mostly of Junior Follies sales, we wanted to look for a location that would serve our needs and also be a place with significant meaning.”
Concern over student drivers having to pay for parking, as well as the fact that many venues were already booked for weddings, also led to the prom being thrown in the courtyard.
Many students, however, reported they were more than happy that the prom was held at the school.
“I’m actually fine with the fact that CHHS doesn’t have a prom venue because I’ve heard their last venue, the Sheraton, got really hot and wasn’t a great place to have it anyway,” senior Gillian Ederle said.
In the end, many juniors and seniors enjoyed the festivities prom provided, even with the dance being held in the courtyard.
“Even though prom was not at a special venue, students were still able to have a great time with each other because we’re resilient,” Fleener said.
