Due to the long and restricting pandemic, prom hasn’t been the same for two years. Prom originally was hosted near the city but was replaced with two proms located on the front lawn.

This year, however, prom will be held on May 6th at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare. The stir going around is getting students excited for a prom tradition to continue in the city.

“We are really excited to go back to Prom in the most traditional sense. It’s an experience that will be more similar to experiences in years prior to Covid,” said Ms Ashleigh. Malec, Director of Student Activities.

How does this impact LFHS students?

Due to Covid starting in 2020, the past two proms have been held on the front lawn. During the 2019-2020 school year, prom couldn’t happen at all due to the pandemic.  

“I’m excited that it’s not on the lawn, but I’m unsure what it will be like because it’s been a while.There’s an uncertainty to expectations. It will be interesting how the hotel ballroom will compare to the front lawn,” said senior Adler Hermann.

For juniors, they were hoping to have a normal prom start up again this year. For seniors, they wanted one last traditional [rom since last year was on the front lawn. 

“I’m excited about having a normal Prom that isn’t at the school. I’m happy they brought it back in time for seniors,” said senior Holden Docherty.

A main concern is if the idea of not being able to flexibly leave prom will be a concern considering how students reacted towards proms in recent years post COVID, but coordinators hope that this experience will keep students interested and enthralled. Junior class sponsor, Mrs. Julie Crouch recognizes how students could react and actively worked with the Prom committee to keep everything fresh and exciting,

“We change little things to make it a different experience every year because we don’t know how kids will react,” 

What is Project Safe Prom?

Project Safe Prom is providing transportation to and from the high school to the venue. Project Safe Prom has also provided extra security and accessibility for all upperclassmen to safely attend to and from the Prom venue. 

Project Safe Prom is being funded by generous donations from parents and members of the Lake Forest and Lake Bluff community. Donors who funded over $1000 will even be recognized for their generosity on the red carpet the day of prom to show the school’s appreciation for providing a beautiful prom. 

Over the past two years, what traditions have changed and what traditions have stayed the same? 

Crouch, who attended LFHS as a student, is excited for the hotel tradition to continue. “I think that the experience that I had in high school is now being brought back this year.”

Red Carpet:

The famous red carpet entrance for students to walk out of the school towards the buses has been a tradition for a long period of LFHS Prom history. 

“I’m excited for the fanciness of [taking the buses] because I haven’t experienced it before,” said senior Felicity Whidden.

The annual prom livestream will be recorded, just like every year by the hardworking tech crew and New Media team. 

This year, parents are welcome to park off campus and watch the carpet live, which has been something that a lot of parents have been  most excited about. Now parents have no excuse that you didn’t take enough pictures! VIP photography will also take photos of students walking down the carpet and will post them on the LFHS website for purchase shortly after the dance.

Another thing that’s changed is the date; usually prom is held later in May, but it is placed at the beginning of May this year. 

Pricing:

Another tradition staying the same is the price of $95 for a ticket to prom just like past years’ prices. Obviously prom has cost a lot more to make it happen, but due to gracious donations, it’s possible to keep tickets as low as possible for students.

“Something that people don’t know is that $95 does not cover our prom at all. Project Safe Prom provides money to fund it, as well as the community and surrounding businesses,” said Malec.

For students who are struggling to pay for a ticket, LFHS has received a grant from the APT for those in need of financial assistance to maximize the amount of upperclassmen who want to attend. All of these traditions have stayed intact throughout the years, and LFHS has slowly brought them all back as COVID has died down.

Food:

Due to the buffet style dinner set for prom last year, a lot of students didn’t get to eat what they wanted or even anything at all. Of course, every year there will be complaints about food but especially in recent years it’s been noticed. With it being hosted in a hotel, a lot of seniors are hoping that it will be a better solution for food.

“I’m excited to see what food they have this year,” said senior Jack Taylor. 

The ideas of recurring traditions, and change for the first time since COVID makes this year’s prom especially exciting. 

“Everyone is going to get new eyes on an old tradition. Sometimes change is good but sometimes tradition is good too,” said Crouch.

The ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ theme and planning that’s been organized by the junior class and APT Prom committee is definitely going to be remembered for giving the classes of 2023 and 2024 a prom experience that they can only dream of. 

Juniors and seniors can buy tickets from April 3rd- April 20th at noon for $95 per person. Feel free to check the LFHS website for more information on Prom.