Prom is seen as a rite of passage for most seniors. It’s a night of memorable fun with friends that seniors look forward to in their last year of high school before they’re off to college, especially if it might be the last one for a long while. With the school year coming close to an end, students were found getting ready for their final dance.

Prom hasn’t always been the school party people have come to love and enjoy. In the past, prom–short for promenade–had been modeled after the debutante balls high society had when older kids entered adult society. As time passed, these parties became a more semi-formal, almost casual event. Prom themes can be heavily influenced by popular culture so it’s no surprise that the theme plays an important part in prom. Popular culture changes and along with it prom does as well.

After much excitement and waiting at Middle College High School, the prom theme of 2024 was finally revealed–‘A Night Under the Stars.’ With the theme revealed, students quickly bought their prom tickets. Days went by and suddenly it was prom night.

Walking into the venue, students were greeted by the hard work of the prom committee. One had to wonder how the prom committee brought it all together with how decorative it all was.

Senior Haidy Valencia, a prom committee member, delved into the process that went into deciding this year’s theme.

“To choose this theme we ended up developing a couple of themes before deciding on ‘A Night Under the Stars’. We presented the different themes in front of the committee and then voted on the one we liked the best,” Valencia said.

According to senior Ruth Garcia, prom was a truly memorable and heart-warming experience.

“I loved how prom was filled with many seniors and everyone was incredibly sweet and welcoming. I talked to many people and felt a strong connection with them,” Garcia said.

Garcia even shared her favorite memory of the night.

“The most memorable moment I had that night was dancing with my friends to our favorite songs,” Garcia said.

While everyone had a fun night at the dance, our prom committee members had a great time working together to make this dance come to life.

“I loved being a part of the prom committee this year. I think everyone in the group had fun planning it and making it memorable for all of those who attended,” Valencia said.

The other prom committee members shared the same sentiment, such as senior Alejandra Leal.

“Our vision when making this year’s prom come to life was to make it a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all attending students. We wanted to make it as exciting and fun as we’d been advertising,” Leal said.

Prom was undoubtedly a night that will stick with seniors for many years to come, and it couldn’t have been done without the help of the prom committee.