All We Know About Prom
HUDSON, OHIO — Yesterday at Morning Meeting, the Student Life Office (SLO) announced the 2022 Prom via video: A Night at Sea, set to occur Saturday, May 14th on Cleveland’s The Nautica Queen moving boat. Followed by after prom, students will depart campus at 5:00 PM and return by 2:40 AM.
This announcement was met with a sea of chatter, and the student body has both excitement and concern for this unconventional choice of venue.
“I’m excited; it’s kind of cool to have it on a boat, ” notes Isa Mester ’22. Senior Catherine Walker mirrors her enthusiasm, saying, “I like that they’re doing something new… I feel like it’ll be a fun experience.”
“I just hope no one falls overboard,” Mester adds, raising a commonly-held concern that breathalyzers only test for alcohol and not other banned substances.
Other students express worries over motion of the boat, as four-year senior Sarah London explains, “I’m low-key concerned about getting motion sick.”
In response to these anxieties, SLO Student Life Activities Coordinator Mrs. Anzaldi suggests, “If you are concerned about motion sickness, you should speak to the nurse before boarding,” as a way to avoid the unpleasant side effects of sea sickness.
Anzaldi elaborates on the preparations for prom, detailing how several venues were considered before honing in on a nautical-themed setting, including the zoo, the Cleveland Art Museum, the House of Blues and more traditional sites. Contrary to popular belief, the school hosted prom at multiple venues in the past, though the choice of The Nautica Queen remains unique from most typical choices.
The true pioneering is the choice of time. Whereas, according to SLO Assistant Ms. Forhan, most past proms occurred the Friday before graduation, this year’s upperclassman event is set for more than two weeks before graduation. The SLO hopes that this placement will allow students more recuperation time between the dance and graduation, leading to less tired students at commencement.
The boat will serve as the primary centerpiece of the event. Nevertheless, the boat will be covered in lanterns as an ode to its festive, nautical theme.
Upon arriving at the venue, students will be welcomed by a buffet dinner, provided by The Nautica Queen, followed up by dancing and more traditional prom activities. Multiple chaperones, both from the SLO and the general faculty, will be present throughout the voyage; these chaperones are still to be determined, and students are welcome to email their chaperone suggestions to the SLO and said adult.
Attending students will be escorted to Swings-N-Things Fun Park for the afterparty, which will run until 2:00 AM. The SLO has stated that this event is mandatory for all students who attend the prom. This aspect sparked surprise from the student body. As Griffin Arnold ’22 explains, “It makes no sense for day students that it’s a mandatory stay until 3 AM… you’re expecting these same day students to drive home.”
Ethan Bauck ’22 comments “I think [the boat] is good… kind of cool we’re having prom on a boat. I don’t necessarily like the idea of you having to go to the after prom if you go to prom. Maybe they could send out a survey.”
Anzaldi explains that the decision to keep the after prom mandatory is, “just a safety concern…keeping everyone together and organized.”
Remember to keep a lookout for the prom and table sign ups! Although all upperclassmen are guaranteed tickets, spots remain limited for underclassmen and non-WRA students–the boat’s maximum capacity is 270 people.
The Reserve Record 