2020 stole many memorable events from high school students across the world. Many end-of-the year activities that students looked forward to since they were children were canceled due to the danger of COVID-19. One of these events was junior/senior prom, which always happens near the end of April or early May. Thankfully, the administration would not allow the pandemic to ruin another year of activities.
In mid-February, Student Activities Coordinator Mrs. Sandra Breaden included in the “Upcoming Events” portion of the “This Week at TKA” email that “Junior/Senior prom is scheduled for Saturday, April 17, at Venue 92 in Woodstock. Stay tuned for details.”
“I was hesitant that we would actually have prom when it was first announced but was excited when I found out it was actually going to happen,” said senior Andrew Stepat.
The 2020 prom being canceled meant that this would be most of the attendants’ first prom, unless they were invited as a freshman or sophomore in the past. This gave the event more of a special feeling because everyone was experiencing the same thing together for the first time. “It was awesome to see all my classmates in the same room for the first time,” said Stepat.
As students arrived at Venue 92, they were greeted by staff members. Mrs. Jessica Case, Mrs. Angela Floyd, Mrs. Anna Johnson and Mrs. Tina Barker chaperoned the event and made sure the dance remained appropriate. Students signed in using their student IDs, proceeded to the dance floor and enjoyed one of the many treats provided, including Oreos, sweet tea, lemonade and many others.
A popular trend among the girls was to ditch the high-heels or dress shoes, and replace them with Converse, Crocs, Vans or other more comfortable options.
They paired these shoes with long simple dresses and curled half up hair. The guys wore their classic tuxedos and suits, along with sunglasses, chains and other accessories.
Prom, according to many students, was superior to any other King’s dance. A common thought was that the DJ and the dancing were two of the many reasons that made the night special. One of the memorable moments was when the DJ stood on the table and blasted fog on the dancing students in the mosh pit. The music mainly consisted of upbeat pop songs, which provided the fun ambience that is common at school dances.
“My favorite part was the dancing, honestly,” said senior Candace Campbell. “It didn’t matter who I was dancing next to. We were both there for a great time.”
The smaller crowd made the dance enjoyable for everyone and opened up more opportunities for social interactions and catching up with friends. Students like junior Kinsey Kunkel were able to use the dance as an opportunity to strengthen their bond with their drama club colleagues and classmates.
“As someone who isn’t the biggest fan of big, loud groups of people, having the right people to hang out with makes it fun,” Kunkel said. “I’m incredibly grateful for the friends I’ve made this year.
I hope to continue spending dances with them all next year. “My favorite part was spending time with all my friends,” said Junior Noah Wilkes. “If you find yourself a great person to go with and a great group to tag along with, you’ll make memories you’ll never forget.”