Extensive Parisian decorations, a return of post prom activities to a local address and the earliest date in modern history for the event at Herndon High School will highlight the school’s 2007 prom, set to take place on Saturday night.
Themed "An Evening in Paris," the school’s annual prom pre-graduation dance will be hosted at the Waterford Banquets Hall in Fairfax starting at 9 p.m. on April 28, as faculty and parent volunteers are expecting a larger turnout than in recent years. The prom is scheduled to go on until 1 a.m.
Shifted to the end of April, the normally mid-May engagement had been rescheduled due to a desire to give students more time to prepare for mandatory end of the year testing and graduation, according to PTSA president Lisa Lombardozzi.
As tickets are still being sold, no final total number of tickets has been released, but prom organizers are expecting more than 700 people, topping last years’ numbers, they said.
AS THE NUMBERS of participating students continue to grow, so does the level of involvement in decorations, said Laura Totoro, a Herndon High School history teacher who, along with fellow history teacher Laurie Crowe, are the faculty advisors for the prom. This is the first year that Totoro is helping to organize the end of the year dance.
"We’ve really put a lot more time into our decorations and lighting," said Totoro. "It’s really going to be an elegant experience for our juniors and seniors."
A greater attempt will also be made this year to preserve that sense of class and elegance. This year the school, taking a cue from other regional schools, required students registering for the prom to sign an agreement to maintain an "appropriate style of dance and behavior" on the dance floor or face removal from the dance. The measure cites such behavior as simulating sexual activities, inappropriate public displays of affection and touching of "private" body areas, according to the registration form.
The policy was decided on after parent chaperones observed "inappropriate" dancing at previous years’ proms, Lombardozzi said. The dance floors will be monitored by faculty members who are close with many of the students, she added.
"The administration is trying to set a high standard for our students and the faculty is in support of this," said Totoro. "Our intent is not to ruin the prom or restrict anyone from having a good time, but we want to make sure that people realize what is appropriate."
"I think most of our students already keep that high standard. We just want to make sure that nobody feels uncomfortable."
THIS YEAR’S PROM will also feature the return of after-event alternative activities to the Herndon Community Center. Last year, due to remodeling construction going on at the Herndon center, the after-prom celebration was held at the Reston Community Center.
The event, which will take place from midnight to 4:30 a.m., has a budget of about $8,500 and features live music from a DJ, Bingo and poker tournaments for prizes, food and laser tag, among other activities, according to Cindy Wei, chairperson for the event. Some of the prizes include iPods, portable DVD players and gift certificates.
Any student attending the prom is invited, as the $5 admission to the after-prom event is already included in the price of all tickets, Wei said. Typically about half of the students who go to the dance attend for at least some period of time, she said.
After-prom "offers our students a safe place for them to gather with their friends, listen to music and just have fun," she said. "It keeps them off the streets and away from the parties where drugs and alcohol might be present."
Meant to provide an added level of safety for the students, this year, after-prom volunteers will be calling parents to notify them when their sons or daughters leave the event, if they depart early, Wei added.
This year, a greater attempt to reach out to junior and senior students who are not attending the prom to come to the event has also been a main focus in its promotional efforts, Wei said.
"Prom is just one of those experiences that all students, even the seniors, should get a chance to experience, and we don’t want to feel like anyone is being left out," Wei said.
That same mindset goes for the dance itself, said Totoro.
"We want people to come in large groups, come with their friends, get the chance to enjoy themselves," she said. "For them, this is the best time of their lives, and [the prom] is just a chance for them to be with their friends and enjoy themselves."