Prom, typically a night to remember, has become a planning nightmare for all students involved. Last year, juniors donning dresses and tuxedos boarded a boat, partying on the waves under a starry sky. This school year’s Junior Cabinet intended to treat their class to the same scene and put a down payment for a boat from the same owner, with a plan of selling tickets for $115 per person. Yet out of nowhere, the owner raised the price to $120 per person, with a minimum of 250 attendees. This immediately posed a problem for the juniors, as only a small number of people showed interest in attending prom.
Many juniors planned to attend senior prom instead, which would take already limited spots away from seniors. By setting a high ticket price and implementing a tedious process for guest tickets, senior planners hoped to encourage juniors to only attend their own prom. Still, administration believed that they would not be able to sell 250 tickets to juniors and decided it would be better to lose the down payment instead of being $20,000 in debt. They are currently looking for another venue, with eyes on one in Concord, where they hope to sell tickets for $75-80 per person.
The juniors aren’t the only ones struggling: the Senior Cabinet has also faced many difficulties while planning senior prom. The seniors used the money saved from last year’s prom on a deposit to a venue they were looking at before this school year started. They put off decoration and DJ planning for later in the year. Now, they want a photo booth as well. However, decoration, photo booths, and DJs are expensive, so seniors have been selling goods during sports games to fundraise. Additionally, prom planners expressed exasperation with their search for a DJ, saying the long screening process the school has makes it hard to find someone.
An announcement was sent out early October stating senior prom tickets would be $90 if bought between November and January and $105 from February to March. A couple weeks later, they changed the prices to $110 and $115, respectively, stating it was “legit” and “updated” information. However, the link to buy tickets wasn’t released until January, and to the irritation of many seniors, listed an even higher price of $125.
When asked about the sudden price increase, the Senior Cabinet stated that Mr. Price chose for all tickets to be $125 without consulting them first. They expressed annoyance with the administration’s ineffective communication, explaining that staff made a lot of choices without running anything by the Cabinet first.
What was meant to be a celebration of memories has evidently turned into a logistical nightmare for both Junior and Senior Cabinets. From skyrocketing costs to administrative missteps and unclear communication, students are left wondering whether prom will be the memorable night it’s meant to be, or just another headache. While both committees are doing their best to navigate these challenges, it’s clear that the prom planning process has been anything but smooth sailing.