By Hannah Wieditz-
With a grand march and a new venue, prom this year wasn’t like the past proms hosted by the high school. For the past four years, the dance has been held at the African American Museum of Iowa in Cedar Rapids. In the year 2013, the Prom Committee pushed to have the dance at the new venue of Celebration Farm in Solon. The dance was held in the timber frame barn, whose area is 2,940 square feet with a sound system specifically designed for the structure of the building. “The dance floor was a little small, but the balcony was really cool,” said junior Sam Morgan.
Little did students know that the set-up at Celebration Farm took a lot of effort from members of the prom committee earlier that day. The group purchased tulle for bows, balloons, flowers, and lights. The set-up took place at 9 a.m., but was not too labor intensive. Junior Gretchen Oelrich, a member of the Prom Committee, said, “Celebration Farm was really easy to set up for because, unlike the African American Museum, it didn’t need to be dressed up.”
The dance lasted until midnight but the night was not over. Post-prom was awaiting the juniors and seniors at the Mount Vernon Middle School. Students arrived to find a “Mission Impossible” post-prom themes with laser obstacle courses, photo booths, and hands scans to make sure your alias was correct. At each game you received a punch on your alias card, which you could eventually turn in for prizes. Many were giftcards to popular food chains like Pancheros, Coldstone, and Orange Leaf.
Lastly, students gathered into the auditorium to watch the improv group, MISSION IMPROVable. Students who were disappointed at the absence of a hypnotist were pleasantly surprised at how funny the four improv actors performed. Junior Mitchell Wirfs said, “The improv group was hilarious. The pelvic thrusts were immaculate and life-changing.”
Another Junior, Miranda Chapman, said she liked how interactive the group was with the students, and she also added that she actually enjoyed the change from the hypnotist to the improv.
To wrap up the prom experience, an assortment of prizes were given out to students. Amongst the prizes were giftcards, TVs, microwaves, mini fridges, CR Titans tickets, and much more.
With the beautiful weather in the 70s, beautiful venue, and upbeat post-prom, it’s safe to say that Mount Vernon High School has provided a memorable experience for years to come.
