Ready to dance
Prom is one of the most special nights in a high schooler’s life. Will COVID change this night for everyone this year as well?
Though COVID numbers are currently decreasing, the recent Omicron surge had students asking whether or not prom would be at risk if cases continued to climb.
February 24, 2022
A student gets ready for a magical night with friends, excited to see all of the dresses sparkling and all of the suits pressed, the decorations in the ballroom and the tasty food abreast. Stepping onto one of the buses and picking their favorite seat, they know before the night has begun, when they get home they’ll be beat.
MCHS’s prom will be taking place on Apr. 29 at the Schaumburg Renaissance Convention Center. With choices between entrees, comfortable coach buses and plenty of room for students to dance and have space, the prom committee has worked their hardest to create a successful night.
The theme — The Roaring Twenties — was decided to be a continuation of the previous year’s canceled prom. Decorations will make the convention center look like a ball — Gold and silver, pearls, diamonds, a glamorous black-tie event.
Around Thanksgiving, COVID cases in McHenry Country were on the rise, reaching as high as over 1,500 cases on Jan. 10. Since February began, cases have declined lower than before Thanksgiving.
Members of the prom committee, like many other attendees for prom, aren’t worried that COVID will “cancel” this year’s event. Committee member Taiya Stewart shares, “I’m really hoping that it won’t get shut down, but I think that everything will be okay with all of the safety precautions we’re taking.”
Some of these precautions include decreasing the number of students that sit at a table from 10 students to six or eight, according to the prom advisors Meghan Steck and Gina Adams. They add that service staff will also be required to wear masks too.
Many students like senior McKenna Keegan instead feel a bit underprepared for prom night. She explains, “I have been so busy with other school work and activities, I haven’t had any time to really find (a dress) or think too hard about prom.”
Others have already started planning however. Senior Carissa Hudson says, “I’ve gotten my dress and my shoes already, [but I still have to] get a mask that matches my dress and make sure that I have my booster in time.”
Before the student walked out the door, they rushed over to their drawer. Pulling out a matching mask, they knew that was their last task.
