We all know that when you think of the high school experience, prom comes to mind. Movies and TV shows portray prom as the most fabulous night in a teen’s life, filled with laughs, friends, dancing, and decorations. However; when you simply watch prom from the other side of the screen, you can marvel at the extravagance without thinking about what goes into making it so special. RMA has a longstanding tradition where the Junior class works over the course of the school year to make prom possible.

It is hard to even imagine how much time and effort goes into making the night, but last year as a Junior, I got the behind-the-scenes look. Every year around Christmas, Juniors raise money selling Poinsettas for decorations, and the band Eight Past Midnight. This process lasts a few weeks and delivering the poinsettias takes about two days overall (talk about commitment!) After the funds have been acquired, the Juniors can get to work preparing everything else for Prom. They are broken off into committees such as the music, construction, painting/art, invitations, drinks, and food committees to ensure everything gets done on time and efficiently. On top of their special committee, it is pretty common to find that everyone has to take on numerous roles, especially on the day of prom when the class transforms the cafeteria into the theme, like this year’s “Night Club”. One of the special things that the Juniors do relating to prom is called a “promposal” where they officially ask the senior class to prom. This year they recreated a “nightclub” in the drama room that featured bouncers, music, and lights. The Juniors posted the invitations on a bulletin board in the room and laid out cupcakes when they popped the question, “will you go to prom with us?” The creativity behind the promposal was excellent and the seniors enjoyed every minute of it. The Junior class puts in copious amounts of hard work and time, but there are two individuals who are the masterminds of it all. Without their help, the juniors would not able to pull off this magical night. Thanks to Ms. Knox and Ms. O’Brien orchestrating it all, prom is enjoyable for everyone. Ms. Knox, well known around RMA for baking the best sweets of all time, provided the cupcakes for the promposal on top of her planning duties. Not only is she the mastermind behind prom, but the articles you’re reading now. Since taking on the media office this year, I have had many teachers remark on how the quality and content of our articles have increased substantially. However, this article itself was not edited by Ms. Knox because I chose to bypass her expertise to make it more of a surprise. (So, unfortunately, if you happen to stumble across an error, that’s why!) Not to mention both of these special ladies are full-time teachers at RMA who have to balance many responsibilities. You would never know it though because Ms. Knox and Ms. O’Brien manage to remain calm, cool, and collected with a smile on their faces at all times. This year and every year, we could not all be more grateful for the tremendous women who put in the work to make prom a special night to remember.