By Alexis Luu
Health Head
It’s only been a couple months since COVID-19 has entered our lives and in this short amount of time, all of our lives have been flipped upside down - some more than others. For countless teens across the country, prom - like many other events- has been cancelled. Prom is a milestone that every kid looks forward to; it’s an event that has been romanticized in far too many movies.
Generation Z has certainly proven themselves these past couple of months as a force to be reckoned with. We’ve demanded true change and we got it. And once again, Gen Z has bounced back from this setback and came up with innovative ways to celebrate their prom. In San Diego, senior Alex Pham from Scripps Ranch High School said that he spent prom with a group of his close friends. He and his friends got dressed up, took pictures, ate dinner, and threw a prom party to celebrate. When asked where he took pictures, Alex said that he took them at “Old Poway park because of tradition. Scripps Ranch seniors have been taking pictures there for over a decade.” Alex only took pictures with a handful of people but met up with other people at the after party. Alex and his friends are a great example of how seniors were able to overcome obstacles and still make the best of their time. His celebration was super similar to the traditional prom experience and it’s through moments like these that make it easier for high school seniors to stay optimistic.
Alex Hansen, a senior at Mount Carmel High School had a similar experience to Alex’s. He and all his friends gathered for a mock prom event that they had organized. Everyone was dressed up, took pictures, ate food, sat around the fireplace and overall just had a good time. His celebration was small yet meaningful. He was able to spend time with his closest friends and created memories that they will always remember. Although his makeshift prom wasn’t as grand as traditional prom was, he was able to spend it with those he loves and it’s moments like these that are the most valuable.
Paige Rogge, a high school senior at La Jolla High, had made plans with her friends for prom as well. However, when they saw that the pandemic was not slowing down anytime soon and was actually spreading like wildfire in La Jolla, they decided to postpone their plans. Paige said that she and her friends planned on taking photos at the Catamaran Resort and meeting up at a friend’s house for a small get together. Their decision to delay their plans was made with a heavy heart, but they know that it is for the best. “Hopefully we’ll get to celebrate soon, when it’s safer”, Paige says. She’s not the only one who decided to reschedule prom, though. Most highschoolers this year chose to give up prom altogether such as Conner Farrell and Jenny Le from La Jolla High School and Sammy Johnson and Jack Rouza from Serra High School. Although a huge disappointment at first, these strong seniors were able to accept their untraditional high school experience and are instead focusing on other things, such as college and music. In addition, some seniors, such as Patrick Ryan and Hannah Cluster from La Jolla, were fortunate enough to celebrate prom last year as juniors. They note that they are very grateful to be able to experience it and sympathize with their peers.
Across the country, teenagers everywhere are having at-home photoshoots in their prom attire to make up for their canceled proms. Others are having DIY proms with their families and close friends. There are only a couple of occasions in a lifetime where you get to go all out - big hair, big dress, big everything - and prom is certainly one of them. Learning about how teens took matters into their own hands and overcame adversity in a safe and creative manner brings hope and joy to many in such a dark and unpredictable time. Way to go, class of 2020!
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