As we move into March, the student population awaits anxiously on the Quad waiting for the social phenomenon that strikes Palo Alto High School each spring. There’s a buzz in the air as we anticipate who will be the first to march onto the Quad bearing flowers, posters and perhaps even “Star Wars” paraphernalia. After the creation of “PROM DRESSES 2015” on Facebook in January, everyone knows Prom season is here. With one of Paly’s biggest events of the year rolling around in less than two months, The Paly Voice is here to fill you in on all things Prom.
Location
Preparations for Prom 2015 have been in high gear since ASB announced the location, San Francisco City Hall, at the Winter Rally in January.
Senior class president Maya Ben-Efraim notes that the location is a particularly exciting feature of this year’s Prom.
“Usually, events just rent out the rotunda, but we’re getting the rotunda and the upstairs balconies,” Ben-Efraim said. “We’re going to have a ton of space, with lots of places to hang out, dance, eat and take pictures.”
“It’s really beautiful and I’m very excited,” Ben-Efraim said. “I think it’s going to be our most beautiful Prom yet.”
Theme
ASB announced the complementing theme, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” at the Sadie Hawkins dance on Feb. 20. The theme, according to Ben-Efraim, will primarily be used for publicity purposes.
“It [the theme] does not affect the attire,” Maya Ben-Efraim said. “Just wear your usual black-tie formal outwear.”
Dining and Entertainment
According to Ben-Efraim, the dining for the evening will be a heavy hors d’oeuvres-style international tasting menu, with four different stations: American, Italian, Mexican and Mediterranean. Entertainment will feature DJ Hightop, who has deejayed several ASB events in the past, including Prom 2014. Other activities available to students include a photo booth and a caricature artist.
Tickets and Donations
Tickets, which can be bought online, will go on sale on March 9. The “Early Bird” prices are $120 or $110 for ASB cardholders. Prices will increase on March 27 to $130 or $120 for ASB cardholders. Sales will end on April 10.
Additionally, in a letter released on Feb. 6, ASB officers Maya Ben-Efraim and Olivia Scola announced the opportunity for families to donate to ASB in order to subsidize ticket prices to provide scholarships for students. In the letter, ASB cites a lack of revenue from parking permit sales as the primary cause behind ASB’s inability to subsidize ticket prices. Construction projects were the main cause of lower permit sales in the fall. Last year, ASB was able to subsidize $40 per ticket. According to the letter, each $7,000 dollars donated will subsidize each ticket by $10.
Donations can be made online or in a letter addressed to Palo Alto High School, C/O Matt Hall, 50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301.
Bus Sign-Ups
Information regarding bus-signups will be made available closer to the event. According to Ben-Efraim, students may only sign up for a bus if they have purchased a ticket.