The Prom
An Inside Look at the Most Memorable Night Elaine Ottens Junior Editor
It has been said for years that prom is a senior’s most memorable high school experience. Thanks to precautions for COVID-19, however, the night was much different, for better or for worse. Now a movie at the Skyview Drive-in, Prom 2021 changed the game.
A photo of the Skyview drive-in from local NPR affiliate KBIA. Students at Lindbergh’s drive-in event watched Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, pictured on the sign.
On March 10, prom director Joshua Piontek (English Department) sent out a survey to all seniors asking for their opinion on what kind of prom they wished to have out of the options given to them. While the students had to keep in mind there would be no food and masks were required, they were given the option to go to a drive-in movie theater or have a field prom. Seniors were not to be discouraged by these limits, however. “Kids are allowed to bring their own food, they’re allowed to get food from the concession stand and have their own kind of dinner at the event, but just instead of there being a dance, there’s going to be a movie and that’s going to be the event; but there is still going to be a prom court and all that fun stuff,” Piontek said. This wasn’t an easy decision for Piontek, either. Not only were his options limited, he had to take it up to the administration for the safest choice, and also had to make sure the seniors were not to be disappointed. “It was really, really hard, like it was a really, really hard decision. I’ve been doing prom for probably like seven years, eight years maybe, even, and I’ve organized it, I’ve run it and everything. Cancelling it last year was really, really hard; I was really sad and upset, and cancelling it and pushing it back and pushing back, and this year, I just knew that I wanted- that we wanted to do something for the senior class, since so much has been taken away from them, you know?” Piontek said.
People reminisce on last year’s prom, and how the upperclassmen were disappointed at the loss of their senior prom. Lindbergh alumna Sarah Moehlmann (Class of 2020) puts in how she remembers feeling at that time. “I was really upset because I spent so much money on a dress and wanted to have this memory of my senior year that everyone has, but I got over it very quickly,” she said. This year, many feared the same thing would happen to them, or that the prom wouldn’t be as special as they were hoping it would be. “I have a feeling that this prom is going to be fine but not nearly the same effect as a normal prom and there’s going to be a lot of restrictions,” Joe Hayes (12) said. Their disappointment was not ignored by Piontek as he planned the event. “I know that there are students out there who are disappointed, that it is not at the Union Station, that it is not a big thing, that it is not the whole kind of major event that they had kind of been imagining or picturing or thinking about. I think the biggest obstacle is really just kind of getting the message out there that this can still be a great time and can be a great thing, and make memories… I think it’s going to be a lot of fun, it’s just going to look different than it has in the past, but I’m really optimistic about the whole thing. I think it’s going to be great,” Piontek said. Some students were optimistic about the change of plans, despite initial negative feelings. “Yes. I am very upset. I didn’t get to go last year because of COVID, and since it’s a drive in, I feel awkward wearing a big prom dress. So, it won’t feel normal whatsoever. I think it’ll be a fun night for seniors though. I feel like Lindbergh is doing all they can to make it a perfect night!” Autumn Smith (12) said. Senior students stated that they were unsure of going to the prom because it didn’t seem too intriguing. Knowing this, Piontek stated where he stood before the event. “I’m a firm believer that anything can be fun as long as you have the right attitude. If you go into something thinking it’s going to be awful, it’s going to be awful. If you go into something thinking it’s going to be great, it’s going to be great,” Piontek said.
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