Due to the curve balls thrown by the coronavirus pandemic, the prom planning committee is planning for three different scenarios — holding prom as planned on June 6, postponing prom to later in the summer or replacing it with a prom-like reunion on Alumni Weekend in June 2021.

The committee held an open forum via Zoom on April 23 for ideas on how to carry out prom this year. One of the primary ideas was to hold a virtual meetup to commemorate the loss of this year’s prom, which is scheduled to be at the Zhou B Arts Center in the Bridgeport neighborhood.  According to Annie Billings, a member of the committee, this would give students something to do on the day.

Member Emily Zhang said, “In the case where social distancing is still going on during the date of June 6, there’s been discussion of eating dinner over breakout rooms in Zoom to commemorate the date that we would have had prom.”

Emily said if social distancing carries into the fall, the prom-like reunion event would take place during the beginning of June next year.

“This does coincide as being alumni, so it would be more of a reunion rather than a prom,” she said.

The committee is still trying to come up with creative ideas to replace the loss of prom — such as asking all students in the grade to contribute to a TikTok, still holding promposals (while staying 6 feet apart), and finding ways to get pictures to keep as memories from the potential virtual commemoration on June 6.

According to Emily, the committee will continue preparing into May for a traditional prom on June 6. 

She said, “For right now, our date is still on hold with the Zhou B Arts Center, and in the best possible scenario, prom will go on as planned.”