Prom is on

Buy the dresses and rent the tuxedos. Make the appointments to get your hair done. Get ready to dance.

Prom is back.

After the ongoing coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of proms last year, Jay County and Fort Recovery high schools are both preparing to host the annual event in a couple of weeks.

Both schools made holding a prom a priority.

“Obviously the end of the year stuff, prom, graduation, awards banquets, things like that, are stuff we didn’t have last year and are culminating events that people look forward to,” said first-year FRHS principal Tony Stahl, whose school will host its dance April 23.

“We’re grateful that we’re getting a chance to (have a prom),” said Christie Sommers, the junior class advisor for JCHS, which will follow with its event April 24.

With the pandemic continuing, the events at both schools will look different from previous years.

While tickets aren’t being limited to the dance itself, promenade will not be open to the general public as it has been in the past. At both schools, students will get a limited number of tickets to distribute to family and friends.

For Fort Recovery, doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with promenade at Fort Site Fieldhouse to follow at 6 p.m. For Jay County, doors will open at 7:30 p.m. with promenade to follow at 8 p.m. In both cases, the schools will live-stream promenade, including the crowning of the prom king and queen, on their Facebook pages.

The other significant change for the public from previous years will be that family and friends gathering on the gym floor for pictures following promenade will not be allowed.

“We can’t do it,” said Sommers, referencing social distancing rules related to the pandemic. (While most state restrictions in Indiana were lifted this week, they remain in effect on school grounds for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year.)

At FRHS, students will leave immediately for Romer’s Catering in St. Henry for the dinner and dance. (The dinner has been held at the school commons in recent years, but previously had been held at Romer’s.)

The number of students at each table for dinner will be limited to allow for social distancing. Masks will be required when social distancing cannot be maintained.

Jay County students will head directly to the auxiliary gym after the crowning of the king and queen. (The dance is typically held in the commons area, but the auxiliary gym offers about 19,000 additional square feet to allow for social distancing.)

Students will be limited to four per table for social distancing. They will not be required to wear a mask when at the table or when dancing alone with their date, but will need a mask while moving around the auxiliary gym or dancing in groups.

Principals at both schools noted that prom is the first of the major culminating events of high school and that it’s important that rules be followed so that others — honors and awards nights, graduation, etc. — will be allowed in the coming months.

“This is the first big thing we’ve done,” said Sommers. “We’ve got graduation. We’ve got the junior high dance. Senior honors night. If we can’t go by these (rules) … We’re kind of the guinea pigs. …

“We’ve got to do what we’ve got to do.”

Added JCHS principal Chad Dodd: “The alternative is we don’t get to do it.”

As for the students, they’re excited to be able to have the prom experience, even though they’re not thrilled about some of the restrictions.

“I’m very happy that we can have a prom,” said JCHS junior Lucas Lyons. “It’s very good to have a school event, because we haven’t had one this big in a long time.”

“I think everyone’s going to be excited either way, whether they have to wear masks or whether they don’t,” added Jay County senior Mariah Gross. “Everyone is going to have fun anyway.”