Underclassmen began their high school experience plagued with restrictions; upperclassmen longed for the days when the Commons were strictly a “seniors-only” domain during lunch periods.

It goes without saying that this past year has been full of challenges for students.

However, with the announcement that the tradition of Prom would prevail this semester, students were ecstatic. For one night, students had the privilege to enjoy an aspect of their high school experience that was salvaged amidst a whirlwind of a year.

Though the event looked a little different this year, the Junior Class Student Council and the LFHS APT Prom Committee worked tirelessly to construct as much of a traditional prom experience as possible.

Instead of the typical routine of crowding the shuttle bus and driving to a hotel, the organizers opted for an at-school, “stationed” experience. The stations included dinner, dancing, s’mores, and the notorious red carpet.

Looking back at last weekend’s event, both juniors and seniors who attended voiced their opinions on this year’s dance:

“Prom was so much fun! I am so happy that our school was able to pull it off given the circumstances. The decorations were beautiful, and it was nice that we still got to walk down the red carpet,” senior Tori Rytell said. “Originally, I thought that the stations and time slots would take away from the overall experience, but I was still able to see lots of people. I think the school and parents did a really good job of planning and organizing the whole thing.”

Senior Juliana Finley agreed with this positive outlook on the experience. 

“I’m so glad we got to experience at least one high school prom,” Finley said. “I think the school did a great job of making the school look pretty and decorating for the dance, and it’s clear that a lot of work and planning went into it.”

However, some students had mixed reviews of their Prom experience, raising concerns particularly about the food, the DJ, and the pacing of the event.

“I didn’t like how short of a time we had at Prom,” senior Kerrigan Weston said. “It felt very rushed, and most years people are in a hurry to leave, but this year it felt like we were being hurried out without getting the full experience. If you were dancing you were having fun, but Prom overall was hard to enjoy at times.”

It seems unanimous among students that the food was less than enjoyable. Dinner offerings included a vegan “Garden Primavera Sandwich,” an assortment of “Grecian Mediterranean Skewers,” or “Woodland Forest Bites.”

These were not well-received. 

“Prom was a great time, but the food wasn’t great,” senior Thomas Tustison said. “I liked walking down the red carpet and everything, but the fun ended once I started eating.”

Junior Gigi Snellback echoed these concerns, but offered a silver lining and praised the work of the organizers. 

“Everyone definitely tried really hard to make it the most fun it could be,” Snellback said. “While the food was definitely not stellar, I think everyone bonded over it. I could really tell how much effort was put into it which is so nice.”

This year, the committees found a way to include a fundamental element to the traditional prom experience: dancing. This station took place in the gym with about 45 students at a time and featured a DJ. However, this portion of the Prom schedule also received mixed reviews from attendees.

“I loved the effort that Student Council and the parents and teachers put in, but only having 30 people at a DJ booth was super weird,” senior Mia Springer said.

Despite the few concerns over Prom’s pacing, food and DJ room, it is clear that the upperclassmen value the efforts from the school and committees to provide a fun and safe experience. 

“I understand the challenge with the planning this year, but I do believe that the committee really pulled it off!” junior Sophia van der Woert said. “The ability to come together and take what we could get is something that our students should truly appreciate.”