A buzzing energy filled the air as the junior class hardly contained their excitement anticipating the joyful night to come. Antsy to rush home and get ready the juniors sat waiting for their early dismissal. Hillsborough High School celebrated their junior prom on Friday, April 10 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Marigold, a venue used for junior proms for the last several years.
“School’s been really hard for me this year between all my AP classes and SATs, so I felt that junior prom was the perfect reward for all that effort,” junior Rayna Saxena said. This year’s Junior Prom was definitely one that will be remembered as it was a night filled with laughter and excitement that reflected the numerous friendships developed throughout the year. The Marigold was shining throughout the night as students posed for pictures, flashing their cameras, and creating photos that would commemorate this important event.
Doors opened for students at about 5:30 p.m., as juniors were allowed to begin taking pictures by the picturesque gazebo, a staple in most of the school’s junior prom photos. Additionally, a mock-tail hour also began at this time where drinks like Shirley Temples and Piña Colada were served. Junior began to indulge in these treats, while they retreated back outside to snap more pictures before being called inside.
At 6 p.m. students were called inside to begin finding their tables. As they walked in students looked around and voiced their astonishment at the lights and decoration that adorned the entire room. “When I walked into the ballroom, I was so surprised to see all the lights, the centerpieces, and the countless flowers. I loved the ambiance of the entire event,” junior Durga Mahesh Sethulekshmi said. Then, at almost 6:30 p.m. on the dot, juniors rushed onto the dance floor. Immediately, songs that caused the dance floor to erupt in chaos began blasting on the speakers. The biggest hits of the night were, “Starships” by Nicki Minaj, “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan, “Baby” by Justin Bieber, “Titi Mi Pregunto” by Bad Bunny, “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus, “Dancing Queen” by ABBA, “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen and “Beauty and a Beat” by Justin Bieber. Additionally, the DJ included a few songs for the couples that wanted to slow dance with their partners.
One of the other biggest surprises of the night was the buffet dinner that included impressive options like steak, mashed potatoes, salmon, penne vodka pasta, rolls and salad. The food was set up in numerous rows so that students could comfortably join a line to get their food in a timely manner and return to their tables. In addition to the main course, there was an entire desert spread towards the end of the night that included cupcakes, a vanilla and chocolate ice cream bar, and chocolate chip and snicker-doodle cookies. Overall, this year’s food, decorations, DJ, and numerous other aspects of the prom made it a night for the juniors to remember.
Two people that had a special and significant role in planning this event were junior class advisors Mrs. Blevins and Mrs. Lahart who dedicated numerous hours into ensuring that it was executed in a flawless manner. “You have to imagine that planning the junior prom is like planning a wedding every year. Luckily, some things are easy. We usually use the same venue, hire the same company to DJ and build a similar menu each year. But there are things that change each year like updating the informational packet, picking the dates to sell tickets and determining the price for tickets. Every year we think about how we can streamline the process to make it easier for us to plan and easier for students to purchase their tickets,” she continued. “Up until the day of prom, we’re stressed. There are always last minute problems that arise. However, it’s all worth it when we see all the students dressed in their finest, smiling, dancing and taking pictures. We’re always so happy to see everyone having such a wonderful time,” LaHart said.
An especially heartfelt and unique moment during this prom was when LaHart gave a heartwarming speech to the audience about how she and Blevins had been serving as junior class advisors together for years and this partnership was unfortunately coming to an end as Blevins moved on. LaHart did briefly mention a new teacher set to fill the now vacant position.
Junior Prom was a night full of magic that welcomed the class of ‘27 to the beginning of the end of their high school career. This celebration marks the hard work and dedication that these students showcase, while rising from freshman, to sophomore and now junior year. The entire night was filled with happiness, the celebration of friendship and fun.
