By: Savi Raghuraman | News Editor
As we approach the end of the school year, juniors and seniors’ schedules are packed with finals and AP and IB testing. Fortunately, this final month of school brings something else a little more exciting to add to our schedules: prom.
This year’s prom will take place on Saturday, May 18, from 8 to 11 p.m. The venue this year is the Ocean Institute in Dana Point, and the theme, “Prom de la Playa,” is appropriate for this oceanfront location. The Institute will likely be dressed up in even more beach-inspired decor than usual.
“I love the Ocean Institute, and I think that it’s going to be really fun there,” senior Margaux Ranson said. “I’m only unsure about whether it’s a big enough venue.”
Size is definitely one of students’ main concerns about holding prom at the Ocean Institute. Compared to past locations, the Institute is relatively small. The several hundred people attending prom may have less dancing room than in previous years. Many have compared the Ocean Institute to the Long Beach Aquarium, the prom venue two years ago, which has a similar marine appeal except with far more space and attractions. Also, because the Ocean Institute is so close by, only a 15-minute drive from SCHS, party buses are hardly a logical option, and parking will be difficult.
However, the Ocean Institute has long been a cherished institution among San Clemente residents, and many students are happy to spend their prom in a place they know and love. After all, when you need a break from dancing, being able to step outside for a quick breath of the fresh ocean air sounds pretty ideal.
Most students are looking forward to prom not for the details like the venue, but for the chance to spend a few extravagant, carefree hours with friends. Seniors in particular will appreciate this opportunity, one of the last ones available to them before graduation, to enjoy the company of the group of people with whom they’ve spent the last four years, celebrating the fruition of their high school efforts.
“I’m happy to be able to spend my last prom with friends and have a good time,” senior Brianna Blashill said.
Only time will tell how this year’s prom compares to its predecessors. No matter what, though, we can be sure that this prom night will be a memorable one.
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