By RJ Townsend
The lights will glow, the music will echo, cameras will flash, dresses will shimmer, and for one night, everything and everyone will feel as if they are in a movie.
But long before prom night begins, before a single song is played or a single photo is snapped, a small group of students has already been working behind the scenes to make it all happen.
The Prom Committee
This year’s committee is made up of the junior class officers, Alivia Jackson, Chloe Oliver, Ava Flowers and Kathryn Enos, along with some of their classmates. The committee has been meeting every other Wednesday since September.
From choosing the theme to planning the decorations and organizing ticket sales, their goal has been simple: create a night everyone can enjoy and remember.
“I’m really excited for this prom, and I feel like our plans are going really well, and the communication is going well between everyone,” Class of 2027 president Alivia Jackson said.
To help this committee make Prom 2026 possible, you can stop by the basketball concession stand during the games. The funds raised there go toward the Class of 2027 and help fund the dance.
The group started by brainstorming themes. After narrowing down their ideas and voting, they chose “Old Hollywood.” From there, the real work began. They continue to work on color schemes, table settings, photo ops, and even smaller details like lighting and centerpieces.
Committee member Camry Hensley can be considered a mastermind behind the curtain. She suggested having an elegant yet magical theme to this year’s prom so that the dresses and suits can correlate to it.
She joined the prom committee with the intent to share her thoughts in hopes to create one special night. With her creative mind and dedication to the committee, her ideas are shared among peers and teachers.
“Prom is really important, and it’s important to me. I want to make sure my ideas get out there,” Hensley said. “And that I can hopefully hear out other ideas, too.”
The committee is also focusing on improving parts of the Prom from last year. They plan to remove some tables to make extra space for the dance floor. They’re also enlarging the dance space by reimagining the DJ table. Manning the table will be DJ Todd, the uncle of senior Brayden Swain.
With the help of their teacher sponsors, high school and middle school choir teacher Ms. Elana Camp and middle school art teacher Mrs. Meghan Frey, the group hopes to keep the fan favorites in attendance. Ideas include the 360-degree photo booth, raffle tickets, and a space enjoyable for all.
“(The sponsors) do a lot of the emailing of other adults from other places, like the venue, camera rentals, and ticketing,” Jackson said. “They do a lot of the heavy lifting with that kind of stuff.”
The committee is also discussing different events and contests that they will hold to help further the excitement for Prom. This will result in a possibility for students to win free Prom bids.
This idea of awarding students who participate in the contests occurred last year, when the committee put together a Promposals contest. Students submit filmed videos of Promposals, with two winners receiving their ticket to Prom for free. Keep an eye out for this year’s contest.
Prom takes much effort from both students and faculty to be able to create one of the most memorable nights of high school. This event doesn’t only apply pressure to the kids picking out their dresses and suit ties, it puts stress on the committee to perfect the night entirely.
“You don’t want to be the class that has a bad prom,” Hensley said. “You want it to be special and super memorable in a good way.”
With that, they want everyone to know that Prom is Saturday, May 9 from 8-11 p.m. at the Wedding Factory in Albany. Ticket prices will be revealed soon, and all juniors and seniors are welcome to attend the special night.
