Behind the show-stopping night of the high school experience is several months of meticulous planning. For students, prom is finally inching its way onto to-do lists. But for student government and resource teacher Chelsea Nicholson, prom has been on high regard since the start of the school year. The infamous endeavor of choosing a dress and, of course, a date is a widespread crusade amongst students of NHS, but before the dress, the hair, the tux and the corsage lies month’s worth of scheduling, renting, hiring, decorating, organizing, and perfecting.

“We start our planning in early January, and prom takes place in mid-April,” junior class president Grace Dean said. “Overall, the process takes about four months if we want prom to be a success. The first decision we make in the planning process is the prom theme because everything else bases itself off of that choice.”

Since choosing the theme is the primary decision, student government has already decided on the atmosphere of prom night.

“This year we’ve decided to do a Hollywood, red carpet, movie premiere theme for prom,” Junior Class Vice President Veronica Vanbuskirk said. “Lights, Camera, Prom!”

The theme may be one component that students wonder about what student government has in store, but there are many other steps to the planning process that are not so commonly contemplated.

“Prom preparation takes a lot of details into consideration,” Dean said. “For example, the junior student government selects the prom queen’s tiara and the court sashes. We also design how the tickets will look. These are some things I would’ve never thought about if I hadn’t been a part of the planning process.”

The “hands-on,”visual planning for prom may start a few months ahead, but the heavy lifting is taken care of by administrators towards the launch of the school year.

“Prom planning is a year long process,” Nicholson said. “Different things are done at different times of the year. For example, reserving the venue is at least a year out since prom is during wedding season, and the DJ is usually hired 4 to 6 months in advance. Other things, like beverages and food are done right before.”

Along with understanding all that goes into creating the ideal prom is how much it costs to make the perfect night.

“Prom usually costs around $25,000, but a portion of whatever is leftover helps pay for the cost of graduation,” Nicholson said. “The majority of the money comes from the ticket sales. The budget involves making sure we can break even.”

This number may be large, but prom itself is a large ordeal. The night is a multi-faceted event that takes into account many different constituents.

“Venue, DJ, ticket sales, budget, prom court, accessories and voting process, fundraising, advertising, getting chaperones, planning theme, food and beverages decorations, favors, obtaining special insurance, contacting tux rental places and helping with Cinderella Story charity [are all essential parts of prom],” Nicholson said.

Even though this is quite the list, the majority of prom’s creation is carried out by the students themselves. It is a night for students, created by students.

“The students can help as much as they want to,” Nicholson said. “I always tell them that right away. They have to get everything approved by me or administration but I like their input and help. It is their prom. Usually, the venue is chosen by me or an admin [but] a large amount of the rest is a group effort.”

It is comforting to know that the night that defines the escapade of high school is produced by their own peers. Dean, herself, knows personally what she wants her fellow students to remember for years to come.

“When preparing for prom, our goal is to create a night that NHS will look back on and smile about,” Dean said. “Though we know we unfortunately can’t satisfy everyone, our main goal is to listen to the majority input and make prom an experience that will be enjoyed by everyone.”

In the end, prom is about tying together years of ups and downs and being able to reflect on the people and life that have defined the short amount of youth that exists for all people.

“10, 20, 50 years later, students will forget the day to day things in high school,” Nicholson said. “It is the big events, big ideas, and getting involved in things that they will remember. Prom is one of these big events. I always encourage students to get involved in things and go to the dances and school events. High school is what you make of it.”