Dawn Pfaff
The Pritzlaff ballroom was this year's venue for prom night.
Prom night, with its shimmer and shine, took an exciting twist this year with a casino theme. The student council carefully planned the event, and wanted it to evolve from previous years.
Homestead intentionally tries to change the location of prom every two to three years, but this year there was a venue conflict.
Dawn Pfaff, student council advisor, said, “We like to give the kids variety, and although Discovery World was very popular, it was already booked on the date we intended to have prom this year, so we opted for a historic building instead—one that adds a different kind of experience, much like the aquarium at Discovery World did, or the elegant old-school ballroom at the Italian Community Center we once used.”
Teachers and adult chaperones attend the event by personal choice, with many crediting the event as a meaningful evening.
“Each year, I love seeing students who’ve waited so long finally get to dress elegantly and enjoy time with their friends in a grown-up setting, and it’s incredible to watch them carry themselves differently—more confidently—because prom has evolved over the years into something more classy and experience-based,” Pfaff said.
Over the years, Homestead’s prom has shifted as an event, each group of students adds their own unique twists.
“Back when we held post-prom events in the school building, students used to stay all night for the carnival-style games and activities, but unfortunately, interest in that has faded,” Pfaff said.
Being involved in the planning of large events is incredibly impactful to student council members, who benefit from the real world experience gleaned during the organizational process.
“One of my former students told me that prom planning and student council taught her more about real-life problem-solving than school itself, and that’s why I continue doing this—because when you walk into a beautifully planned event and see kids standing tall, acting like adults and being treated like adults, I can’t help but smile, knowing they had fun and I helped make it happen,” Pfaff said.
Without the help from many student council members this event would not be possible. The student council board described the planning for this event as exciting yet stressful.
“The most challenging part was definitely all of the tables and organizing how they should be set up—we also had to make 100 roses out of cards, and it’s honestly pretty tedious. Luckily, everything stayed on time, which was a relief,” Catie Wudy, junior student council member said.
Apart from planning the event, student council members were excited to take a step back and enjoy the music, food and dancing at prom.
“I was excited to hang out with friends and see everyone’s dresses on the night of prom,” Wudy said.
Along with the hours that went into coordinating the night, attendees also had to think about organizing their own plans.
“Figuring out where we were going and what times, and choosing a dress, those were definitely the most stressful parts. Since it was my first prom, I just wanted to enjoy all the small and big moments,” Paige Waise, Junior, said.