As seniors, we’ve entered the final year of our K-12 education. Many of the senior events that once seemed so far away are currently in the making: Senior Sunrise, Sober Grad, Prom, Graduation, Grad Nite, all representing some of the final moments the class of 2027 will share at Granada Hills Charter (GHC). Prom, however, is more than just a dance. It’s a night filled with celebration centered on the graduating class. For that reason, seniors should have a say in one of the event’s most talked about decisions: the theme.
Planning Prom requires a lot of preparation from the Associated Student Body (ASB) including budgets, reserving a venue, decorating, coordinating with administration, and so forth. ASB should have an important role in making key decisions for Prom since they are our elected student officials. However, although ASB is directly part of organizing the event, that doesn’t mean that the rest of the senior class should be excluded from major decisions that directly shape their experience, specifically the theme.
The theme has a major role in setting the mood for Prom. It influences the decorations, atmosphere, and experience of the night. Other than clothing, it also determines much of how the students will remember the night and the kind of story they’ll tell in the future.
“The Prom theme matters to me because it is a big contributor to how I will remember the night,” senior Gabby Rhee said. “All the event’s details are highly anticipated. A bad theme is highly forgettable, but a good theme can live on in the memories of those who attended. I want the night to be just as magical and memorable as the movies we have watched portrayed it to be.”
For a dance largely for seniors, allowing the attending class to have some say in the night’s vibe could make the event feel more representative of those attending Prom. Our massive class is filled with so much variety in interests, backgrounds, and opinions, and the decisions of a small group may not always reflect those of the entire class.
Although it is highly unrealistic for every individual senior to come up with a theme to suggest, major decisions should be broadened to a much larger group. Giving seniors a voice in this could involve a Google Form poll that collects the class’ opinions on a few different theme ideas while also keeping the final stage announcement a surprise. It could also include a vote from a selection of themes.
“People don’t really care for the dance’s theme but if you gave them a say in how they would dress by letting them choose the theme, people would dress more to the theme and be willing to go more than before,” senior Andrew Tinajero said.
In short, giving seniors the privilege of influencing the theme of one of the most important nights of senior year will not only give them a fair shot at setting an enjoyable atmosphere, but also give them a better chance of a memorable night.
