Prom is a right of passage for high school Seniors, an event many wait years for. It’s the end of an era, the culmination of four years of hard work and our last few years as kids. Fresh suits, glittery dresses, painfully high heels, chunky corsages, and parents insisting on more photos than necessary. It’s tradition! But this year prom did not exactly go according to plan. 

While in normal years, prom is held at the Rockleigh Country Club, the pandemic and the state-wide mask mandates still in place put a damper on this plan. The prom committee decided to hold the event in the front school parking lot, complete with tents and a dance floor. However, plans were further complicated due to a prediction of rain the entire night. They then decided to move the event into the school gym and have a few tents remain outside, with food trucks parked outside the gym entrance of the school, serving a variety of foods from pizza, to empanadas, to brownies. 

Many seniors claimed that the food was one of the best parts of this pandemic-safe prom. Senior James Lee said, “The food trucks were really good, [but the prom itself] was kind of disappointing. I mean, you have all these events before like pre-prom, and there is this big build up for weeks, but all it was was a dinner in the school gym”. Many seniors participated in what is known as ‘pre-prom’ which is essentially an event organized by different groups of friends in which the prom couples pose for pictures prior to the actual event. And while many seniors had the same negative reaction to the event as James did, others were surprised by what the administration was able to come up with. 

“I wasn’t really expecting much, so when I saw all the decorations and what they had turned the gym into, I was pleasantly surprised. I think this was the best you could do given the circumstances”, said Senior Noam Levi. With assorted decorations including balloon sculptures, a dim hall lined with lanterns, a prom-themed photo station, and a dance floor, the gym truly was transformed. Even the score board used in sports was altered to say “2021” on it, as a sort of homage to the graduating class. 

Another significant way in which this event looked different than it did in previous years was the mask mandate. The administration told all Seniors that masks were required unless they were in the designated eating space in the back gym. However, by the middle of the night, there was hardly a mask in sight, as many students are vaccinated, and the rule was not enforced by staff who chaperoned the event. Senior Josh Kim spoke on the mask-mandate saying, “I don’t really get why I had to wear a mask, I’ve been vaccinated for almost a month, and New Jersey is the only state with these rules anymore”.

A senior from CHS, Gal Mor, went to both Cresskill’s and Tenafly’s prom, and the difference was, according to him, quite noticeable. “We went to this event-place. Everything was indoor, the DJ was great and everyone was dancing, and no one was required to wear masks. The only thing was that the food wasn’t great.” In comparison to Cresskill’s prom, Tenafly’s was much more elegant and fancy, and seemed to be favored more by students that went to both. 

The prom itself went from 6-10, although Seniors were told they were not permitted to leave until 9. A majority of the students left around 9, right after the prom queen and king were announced. Ms. Roberts, a guidance counselor and main organizer of the event prepared to announce the prom king, but did not even need to read his name aloud, as the grade screamed out that Gerry A had won.