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Junior class committee members who developed the plans for this year’s Pipestone Area Schools prom are (l-to-r) Jacie Williams, Jamie Drey, Hope Wallace, Kennedy Manderscheid, Marli Taubert, Kendra Folkerts, Emma Stahl and Aubrey Kerkaert. K. Kuphal
After having been canceled last year due to the pandemic, the prom is returning to Pipestone Area Schools (PAS) on Saturday, April 24, albeit with a few modifications including face masks and social distancing.
Students, for example, will be put into small groups.
“When they sign up for prom, they’ll sign up in a group of six and those six people will eat dinner together, they will stand in line at the grand march before they walk through and then they will dance together as well just to keep them social distanced and keep them in pods or cohorts,” said Alison Olberding, eighth grade global studies teacher and prom advisor.
While it will be different from past years, the junior prom committee members, who plan the prom, said they’re just glad they can have one. That wasn’t clear in the beginning of the school year when they started planning.
“Obviously we would want to have it as normal as possible, so it’s a little disappointing that we can’t all be in a big group,” said Kendra Folkerts, junior class committee member. “But I’m also thankful that we actually get to do something because other schools maybe don’t get to.”
Committee members said prom provides an opportunity for students to express themselves and bond with their friends over a shared experience. They said they’ve missed many of the typical shared experiences during the pandemic.
Prom festivities begin at 3 p.m. on April 24 when photos can be taken prior to the grand march. Olberding said students will get one picture pass when they purchase a prom ticket and can purchase two more for $3 each. Students must sign up for 20-minute time slots for people to take photos and groups of 48 students will be allowed into the gym at a time for photos. Face masks can be removed for photos.
The doors open for the grand march at 5:30 p.m. and the grand march begins at 6 p.m. Each student can purchase two tickets to the grand march for $5 each. Ticket holders will be assigned to either the east or west side of the bleachers. Masks and six feet of social distancing are required. Olberding said students will be able to take their masks off as they walk through the grand march because they’ll be in the middle of the dance floor with only their date.
Supper will be served after the grand march in the commons area. Olberding said the Pipestone County Beef Producers are donating steaks and will prepare them for the students. The Hatfield Roadhouse will provide the sides and salads, and Sassy Cakes by Ashly will provide cupcakes. Pepsi is donating the beverages. Students may remove their masks only while eating.
The dance will follow the meal from around 8:30 to 10 p.m. Olberding said students will be divided into eight groups of 24. Four of those groups at a time will go to the dance in the gym and the dance floor will be split into four sections. The other four groups will remain in the commons area where there will be snacks and activities.
“People can still be with their friends if they want to, but they just won’t be able to be with the whole group,” said Hope Wallace, member of the junior class committee.
The junior class committee chose the theme of “Enchanted Garden,” for this year’s prom. Olberding said the decorations will include archways, floral scenery, birch branches and twinkling lights. The colors will be light pink, white and burgundy.
The committee members said this year’s fashion trends for the girls are fitting, simple, long dresses with sparkles, many of them blue, and tennis shoes to match their date. Some girls might also take the extra fabric after their dresses are altered and make face masks out of it and the guys might use some of that fabric for bow ties.
Olberding said the plans for this year’s prom have changed multiple times as pandemic guidelines have changed, and it’s possible that the guidelines and therefore the plans could change again prior to the prom.
She said the journalism class plans to record and live stream the grand march for online viewing. The details are not yet clear, but she expects it to be posted on the school district’s app and social media.
A traditional after prom party is also planned this year. Tammy Manderscheid, one of the after prom committee members, said the plans were still tentative, but included a gathering at the armory from 11:30 p.m. until around 2 or 2:30 a.m.
The plans include a hypnotist, inflatables, black jack tables, roulette, a photo booth, a bean bag toss tournament, games and more. There will also be plenty of food and of prizes.
Manderschied said she wasn’t sure if local businesses would be able to donate to the after prom party as usual due to the hardships they’ve endured because of the pandemic, but that they came through.
“Our community has been so generous,” she said. “I have been in awe.”