By Shirley Shuman
Approximately 250 students and their guests attended Saturday night’s BCHS Prom, which was held in Days Convention Center for the first time in several years. The theme was Saturday Night Fever, a student-generated idea according to Assistant Principal Lori Stover-Williams.
To carry out the theme, each table was decorated with a different color of balloons and neon glow sticks. Favors included 70’s themed pop rocks candy, slap bracelets, and mints in collectible tins.
Stover-Williams described the students as “overjoyed to be able to plan, organize, and take part in a school-sponsored Prom after not being able to do so for two years because of Covid restrictions.” The assistant principal also felt it “was amazing to see the students laughing, dancing, and socializing in a traditional school milestone.” She added,” It was an honor to take part in helping them make memories of their time at BCHS.”
Voted on by their peers, Lainey Hunt was crowned Prom queen and Gage Triplett was named Prom King. Senior couples who were interested ran for these honors before the Prom and all attendees voted Saturday night as they entered Prom. The two gave their reasons for running and their reactions to winning as well as their views of the Prom.
Hunt said she ran for queen because it is her senior year and she had never run for anything. She continued, “Gage talked about it all year, and we thought it would be very cool if we won together.” Asked about her reaction to winning, she said, “I was so excited. I gave Gage the biggest hug.” Hunt called Prom “so much fun” and “definitely the best time [she’s] ever had at a dance.”
Triplett’s reaction to winning was close to Hunt’s. After saying that he and Hunt had talked about running “since the beginning of the year,” he added, “I was very excited [with winning] because I love winning.” He “thought the Prom was amazing” and explained in almost the same words his partner used. “The highlight of my night was definitely seeing all my friends dressed up and taking pictures.”
This year’s Prom was a success from the standpoint of almost everyone who had any part in it. It was especially welcome because of the long wait during the pandemic.