Churchland High School gives the students a prom after not having one the last two years due to Covid-19.
“So as a district, or the whole area, we decided that people have been wanting prom for the past two years even though we were out. So I think it was appropriate to have it,” Principal Millaci said.
There were many concerns about holding the prom, since the last two years had been canceled due to the pandemic. Concerns about masks and safety of the students and faculty that attended were deliberated in the process of providing a formal dance.
“It is always up to everybody to follow their own mitigation strategies and measures. Just like here in school. Now, masks are optional and the same went for the prom,” said Millaci.
Prom is usually handled and organized by the junior sponsors, and this year’s sponsor was English teacher, Dr. Cabbler. Being the sponsor does not mean that she is in charge of everything regarding prom. For instance, the sponsor gathers a group of juniors to decide and vote on the theme for the prom. This group is open to all the juniors that wish to participate and have a say in the theme.
“I met up with a group of juniors and it was open to all of the juniors, but the ones that showed up came up with about ten themes and then we took a vote on the masquerade,” said Cabbler.
“I would also like to add a special thank you to Ms. Patillo, Ms. Harris, Ms. Cuffee, Ms. Bazemore, and Ms. Daniels for helping with the prom,” Cabbler added.
With the theme being “Masquerade,” attendees were encouraged and requested to dress in formal attire and wear a mask. To some people, the theme is not as important and students tend to wear what they want and/or match with the person that they may go with.
“It was okay, but I didn’t wear a mask. I didn’t even pay attention to the theme and I didn’t see anybody wearing a mask,” Emma Burnham, a female senior, said about the theme.
“In my experience, the theme is not as important as the people getting together. However, I kinda like the idea of the masquerade,” Mr. Millaci said.
This year’s prom was at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott. The location choices are based on prices and that also determines how much the students have to pay for tickets. The other locations that were considered were the Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake and the Main in Norfolk. Many of the students could agree that the location that was chosen had beautiful scenery.
“The location was nice. It was near the water so if you didn't want to stay, like me, you could've just went to the waterside and enjoyed the peace,” Jeremiah House, a male junior, said about the location.
Photo: Emily Layola