Students from Great Crossing donned their most formal attire this past weekend to attend one of the most anticipated events of the school year– prom held at Alltech Arena. Prom took place on April 19th, and over 600 students were in attendance. Students enjoyed getting dressed in fancy dresses or tuxedos to celebrate the occasion with their friends and classmates. While some students can overlook the amount of hard work and effort put into organizing prom, the reality is that it takes months of planning and preparation thanks to prom sponsors Lynn Fiechter and Tia Beltz and a committee of 39 students.
Cameron Crump, senior, chose to return to serve on the prom committee this year. “I enjoy helping out with events going on in the school. I like that prom is really student-led in the aspect that we get to pick the theme, decor, and get to set up the whole event,” Crump said.
Everything from the theme, tickets, decorations, and event set up is completely orchestrated by the prom committee. Almost all of the decorations are made by the students, and they then help set up the day before prom in order to ensure everything looks right for the event.
This year, the prom theme was Regency Revelry, and Brenna Parker, a senior who has served on the prom committee for two years, was the student who came up with the idea. “The theme’s inspiration is from the Regency era. There have been quite a few shows and movies lately that showcase that era, and I think we drew inspiration from quite a few of them. I also think the flowers and color pallets from that era were so beautiful,” Parker shared.
However, gathering decorations for prom isn’t as easy as having it shipped to the venue via a vendor. “I think the hardest part about prom is that a lot of our decor is usually a DIY process. Mrs. Beltz and Mrs. Fiechter come up with these great decor ideas that match the theme and we usually end up making the decorations. It is very time consuming but so worth it in the end,” Crump shared.
Fiechter has helped students plan and prepare for four proms since the opening of GCHS. “The hardest part of prom prep is making it all happen–and happen in a way that meets our standards– in a little over 24 hours. We move in a Uhaul worth of stuff on Friday morning and really don’t stop until the first groups of students arrive on Saturday evening. This year, Mr. Beltz and I worked off of a 113 point to-do list!” Fietcher noted.
Among all the chaos of prom preparations, Fietcher greatly admires her fellow prom advisor, Tia Beltz, who helps make the magic happen. “My favorite part of all this work is spending time with Tia Beltz. We have very different skill sets, but it is shocking how complementary our strengths are. Every year we obsess over a new theme or get excited about some inspiration that comes to us, but putting on a prom for 600 kids is a lot of work. Our low points haven’t shifted how we admire, appreciate, and value each other,” Fiechter said.
Even though it might seem stressful or overwhelming, Parker encourages people to join the prom committee if they have interesting ideas or feel very strongly about what they want prom to look like. “I’d encourage new members to be bold. If you have a great idea, voice it! No one is going to judge if you think something might look better or be better at prom. We’re all working together and appreciate any opinion another member may have,” she said.
