They’ve anticipated this event for years. And now as it draws near, some seniors are stepping up for the challenge of planning their senior prom.

After getting the approval from the Associated Student Body adviser Ryan Berg, a group of seniors met with both Berg and the junior class treasurer, James Green, at lunch on Jan. 15 to hold the first prom committee meeting. The seniors launched the prom committee after discussing some of their own ideas for prom, in hopes that it will be a night they won’t forget.

One of the seniors, Faith Recio, says she joined the committee after talking to other seniors about plans to start it.

“I felt like we could do so much more than what was being done,” she said. She has experience from helping decorate her 8th grade promotion, so she’s excited to put her skills to work to help with prom decorations. ASB has already decided prom this year will be held at the Scottish Rite Temple and the theme will be “Black Tie.” Usually, the ASB junior class representatives plan prom, but since there aren’t many, and most of them are busy with other extra-curricular activities, as Berg describes, they will need all the help they can get.

Corrina Rivera, a junior in ASB, says that planning prom is especially difficult because, since they don’t know everyone’s opinions, it’s impossible to please everyone.

“I think (the prom committee) is a good thing to get the seniors’ input in how they want prom,” she says, “and we get more people to help.”

Seniors will tackle on planning some areas of the event, including indoor and outdoor decorations, table and eating areas, food, DJ, dance floor and stage, and entrance decoration. They will individually come up with ideas and plans for their assigned areas, then hold a group meeting to comply their plans together before meeting back with Berg and ASB in three weeks to present their progress and blueprint the event.

Recio is determined that the committee will follow through with planning a great prom, because she says that the seniors involved are all leaders on campus.

“We all have a part in it,” she says, and combining each of their skills is going to “make it actually happen.”

Berg thinks the addition of a prom committee is moving the school in a good direction, away from total reliance on ASB planning all the events.

“There’s only so much 29 people can do,” he says. It’s “no secret” that Berg is busy as the adviser, so having other groups taking charge in planning school events is something he likes to see, he says, noting how many of the clubs on campus are working together to plan Service Week, which is Jan. 26-30.

“We need more school spirit. We need more people to be involved.”

With the prom committee, more people now have the ability to become involved in school events. Recio is among those who are making the change to become a campus leader.

”I don’t put myself out there enough,” she says. “This (planning prom) is a good way to start.”