This article by Jessie Forand was published May 20 in the News & Citizen of Morrisville.
Outside, under the stars, in a tent. A natural design palette with greenery and drapes, tables with dishes, linens and rented chairs.
The planning of the Peoples Academy prom reads as much like a wedding as it does a formal dance.
The irony wasn’t lost on seniors Annie Boudreau of Elmore and Alyson Black and Natalie Barbour, both of Morrisville, members of the prom planning committee.
“It’s kind of a wedding vibe, to be honest,” Barbour said.
The three students said this is their first prom, even though they’re in the final stretch of their high school careers — this is the case for most of their classmates, too, as last year’s event was lost to Covid-19, and underclassmen are less likely to attend.
Barbour, who ordered her dress for last year’s prom in February 2020, said, “I was really disappointed because that’s kind of what you look forward to all your years, like, ‘Oh I’m going to get to go to prom junior and senior year,’ and then it was kind of just ripped away.”
Typically, juniors plan the prom, Boudreau said. She recalled having paid the fee for a rented venue and then losing that money because the event didn’t happen.
This year, the school’s yard will serve as the site, able to safely accommodate the roughly 170 juniors and seniors. Underclass guests are allowed as plus-ones, but students from other schools aren’t permitted.
Glamour ‘Under the Stars’
As the theme suggests, the big night on Saturday will shine brightly and be one for the record books, unlike all before it.
While Barbour has had her formal wear locked in for more than a year, she said she’s excited to go all out, having recruited a friend to do her hair and makeup.
“It’s a fun experience because it’s nothing I’ve ever done before,” she said. “I’m usually a laid-back person who just throws my hair in a bun and calls it a day.”
She even has a navy blue, lacy, glittery mask to match her dress.
“That was a thought that went through a lot of people’s heads: What do you do about a mask? Because we’re going to have masks be required at the prom, lots of people are trying to match their outfits,” she said.
To make sure everyone was included, Black said, a garment rack was placed in the school’s office, where people could drop off old dresses and pick one up if they were unable to buy their own.
A number of people have given, and accepted, dresses from the rack.
The idea behind the garment rack: convenience, cost and sustainability — a thread throughout prom planning.
Boudreau said in planning for the prom, students have planned to avoid the waste typically produced by a prom. Everyone is asked to bring a reusable water bottle, “real” plates and flatware will replace paper versions, linen tablecloths will add to the overall aesthetic, and borrowed town hall chairs will provide a respite for tired toes.
“Lots of DIYs,” she said, “because we just didn’t have the time to fundraise, obviously.”
Shall we dance?
One question, vital to any formal dance, remains — what types of dancing will be permitted?
Music will be spinning, for sure, by student and DJ Cody Marcotte.
Many other precautions are in place to prevent close contact and potential virus transmission, including the food — a chaperone will dole it out to minimize grabbing fingers.
Slow dancing, though, is still up in the air.
Initially slow dancing was forbidden — for safety reasons as opposed to “Footloose”-style rigidity. But, as the state’s guidelines continue to shift, Boudreau said the slow-dancing decision may change closer to the day itself.
Back at it
Since the school has operated on a hybrid teaching model during the pandemic, Black pointed out that she and her classmates haven’t all been in one place for the entire year — and much of their junior year.
“To be able to plan this and kind of have a last hurrah, it’s nice to be able to see everyone,” she said.
Communication has had to adapt, given that the students aren’t often together. In addition to some face-to-face talks among individuals, Google Forms and a senior-class-wide Instagram group chat have played important roles in decision-making.
Though it’s likely not what they had in mind in elementary, middle or the start of high school, this year’s event will be inherently memorable. It also has restored hope, the students said, as many said they didn’t want to leave their school years behind without a normal prom or graduation.
Boudreau said part of her still feels like she’s waiting to enter her junior year at Peoples.
“It’s so hard believing that I’m a senior and am three weeks away, four weeks away, from graduation,” she said.
The prom will take place Saturday, May 29, 7-10 p.m., with a grand march at 7 p.m.
