The midnight maskerade: Santa Fe prom during covid

Santa Fe prom is right around the corner as preparations for the dance are in play, however; Covid regulations will still apply during the dance; what activities can you expect at this year’s prom.

On April 24, Santa Fe will be having its junior and senior prom night. Tickets are for sale starting April 5 at $30 per ticket, along with free masks that come with your purchase. Prom is taking place at the Santa Fe football stadium and lasts from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm. Fitting with the pandemic, this year’s prom theme is a masquerade. Prom activities this year include: professional group photos, up to six people per group, refreshments, and traditional prom events such as dancing and the crowning of prom queen and king.

When prom season comes around, juniors and seniors rush to get ready to attend one of the major dances during their high school lives. This dance is an event to help students build social skills and to have fun before the school year is over.

Santa Fe teacher and prom sponsor Meg Gatewood said, “I think that it is important that kids enjoy their high school experience. Everyone is looking for “Normal,” so I am glad we are getting to provide a little bit of that for students,” 

As per tradition, the junior class is sponsoring prom along with co-sponsors, Grace Cassell and Gatewood.  Originally, prom wasn’t going to be available this year because of safety concerns. However, going back to a four-day schedule has allowed Santa Fe to have a more traditional prom and a sense of pre-Covid normality for students.  The dance will be taking place outside and have other regulations, such as wearing masks and having individually packaged refreshments to keep students safe.

“It’s been a really challenging year for both teachers and students; I think that we’re starting to see people wanting to get back to a normal life and prom is a part of that,” Cassell said.

With prom night approaching along with the end of the school year, juniors and seniors have something to look forward to despite the stress of the ongoing pandemic and the stressful school year.