The Class of 2027 gathered at the Oakland Rotunda to celebrate their junior prom on Mar. 7, one of the most anticipated events of the school year. Unlike previous years, when prom weekend was often met with rain, this year’s weather reached a high of 68 degrees Fahrenheit, providing ideal conditions for photo sessions.
“The highlight of my evening was probably the mosh pit. It was really fun when we all went down to the dance floor and the music was really fun and the mood was really cheerful, which was nice,” said Yuna Kang (‘27).
From Check-In to Celebration
Juniors arrived at school between 4:45 p.m. to 5 p.m. in order to check in and load buses on time. Many students gathered in Sycamore Valley Park in Danville between 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. for a photo session beforehand.
“I would say overall prom went relatively smoothly. If I had to, if there’s one thing I could say, the last name system made it so that I kind of got separated with my friends because, like, our last name’s 1st letter is all over the place,” said Eli Yeh (‘27).
Once arriving at school, juniors checked in at the large gym according to their last name. The actual prom lasted nearly four hours from the time students arrived at the Rotunda to around 9:45 p.m. Ten buses transported students on the 40-minute trip to and from the Rotunda.
“For the future, I’d recommend moving the check-in times earlier because some people were kind of late. But it really wasn’t that big of a deal, and I think everything went well,” said Junior Class Treasurer Courtney Widiarto (‘27).
Right upon arriving at the Rotunda, students were directed to the food. The menu consisted of mac’n cheese, sliders, and nacho bowls. There were a variety of options for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Attendees could enjoy a drink bar in a separate room, with Shirley Temples and fruit-flavored sodas on the menu. The dessert included an array of cookies and brownies.
Planning and Preparation
“I heard a lot of good feedback about the DJ and the food, which were several of our concerns as we planned the event. And then a lot of people said our venue was really nice. So that was good too,” said Widiarto.
The Junior officers in Leadership started planning for prom in their sophomore year. They worked to get in contact with prom planners, agree on a date and location, and fundraise for the event.
“We were really big on finding a good DJ, because especially after homecoming, we wanted to make sure that we got a really good one that understood the teenage audience. I think we did a good job with that. And then, we planned out the buses and made sure that transportation was safe and everybody would be accounted for. And then also choosing the food and dessert menu,” said Widiarto.
Celebration Beyond the Dance Floor
Besides dancing in the mosh pit, students could take pictures in one of several photo booths, enjoy karaoke, or play pool, mini golf, or card games. Prior to the event, juniors voted for fellow classmates to be part of the Prom Royalty. Winners were announced later during the evening’s festivities.
“I felt pretty honored. It was a very funny moment for me. It felt like it was from a movie. I mean, my brother and I are twins and we were able to win prom king and queen together. It felt like something from a Disney movie. It’ll be really fun to tell my kids when I’m older that I won prom queen with my twin brother, um, and he won prom king. And it’s a really cool experience,” said Junior Prom Queen Summer Brown (‘27).
Brown was chosen as Prom Queen and her twin brother Garret Brown (‘27) was chosen as prom king. Students were asked to vote for people based on their dedication in academics and school activities, outstanding character, leadership, and school spirit.
