Behind the Scenes: Prom

Prom Committee, a group of dedicated, creative PTHS juniors, has been working with math teacher Miss Deborah Thomas over the last few months to plan a perfect prom for the seniors. This year’s prom, which will take place at Knoll Country Club in Parsippany, NJ on June 2, is going to be a beautiful experience for the seniors.

Prom Committee members have a plethora of responsibilities that they must complete to plan the prom, but the students on the committee enjoy the unique and wonderful experience. One Prom Committee member, junior Samantha Corbo, shared, “My responsibility, also what I signed up for, is the invitation and any other small craft....I love to draw and it is probably my number one hobby so I do not mind because it’s all fun for me. Other work I may have is to decorate some small center pieces, but doing this is what I love so that is why I signed up for these specific tasks.” Though Prom Committee provides students with an opportunity to share their creativity and enjoy themselves, planning a prom is a difficult task with a variety of decisions to be made and components to complete. The Prom Committee members experience this first-hand, but other students realize this as well. One student, sophomore Katie Bellman, who will attend the prom in June, responded, “Yes, I know a lot of work goes into planning prom. Miss Thomas and Prom Committee work very hard to make sure prom is a success.” Sophomore Kylee Stelzenmueller, though not going to the event, shared, “Yes, the Prom Committee does a lot of work to ensure that the seniors have a great time at prom and remember it the rest of their lives.” Creating a successful and memorable prom is the goal of all members of Prom Committee. As Samantha Corbo revealed, “I really wanted to take part in the club personally because I wanted to do as much as I could to make sure the prom was nothing short of perfect.” Miss Thomas, Prom Committee Faculty Advisor, explained that she allows the students to have creative reign over the planning and simply provides the students with ideas to debate. She works tirelessly to oversee the planning and ensure that everything runs smoothly in the execution of the plans, and it is most definitely an immense undertaking, but she and her committee are willing to put in the effort and time together to achieve success.

High school seniors did not always get the opportunity to be a part of this event. According to Time Magazine, the nationwide tradition of school proms started in the 1800s in the United States, and colleges held them for the seniors. Over the next century, schools introduced proms to younger students, and by the 1940s, high school juniors and seniors were attending the events. By the 1950s, WWII was over, and the nation’s economy was peaking. Therefore, schools had the money to host proms at country clubs or hotels instead of in the school itself, which added an element of elegance to the event.

Beautiful gowns, dapper tuxedos, elegant corsages, and fancy limousines are just the “icing on the cake” for prom. The night is truly about love, friendship, camaraderie, and joy. The memories of the night will remain beyond the final dance, as the cast of High School Musical 3: Senior Year sang in 2008, “It’s gonna be the night to remember; it’s gonna be the night to last forever,” and for PTHS, that is all because of the dedication of Prom Committee.