The Hollywood Gala prom was recently held at The Graduate hotel in Dinkytown, and it went better than most anticipated. The location was a significant improvement from last year, as it was fairly spacious and had plenty of seats. The prom was divided into a section with seats and the DJ, one with food and more seating, and lastly an open area with  a larger photobooth. Given that last year’s prom was the first since quarantine, the 400 ticket sales definitely set a high bar. However, last year’s prom also received some criticism that was taken into consideration this year, so it could be a step up from previous year.

Many of the staff members from last year’s prom attended this year, and many commented on how well organized it was. Alex Endeshaw, a South staff member, said he found  this prom significantly better.  He stated, “The previous prom was not prepared at the door so it was disorganized because of the past procedures.” He goes on to explain how many people were unprepared for the event and arrived without a ticket. This year’s venue played a huge role in many people’s enjoyment because it had a much more organized enterance than the previous Enchanted Forest prom. This year’s goal was to make up for last year’s mistake by increasing event promotion and extending ticket sales.

Given that many of this year’s prom committee members attended last year’s prom, they had numerous ideas for this year. Ebyan Abdullahi, a member of the prom committee, said that check in was significantly faster this year. There was also a greater variety of music genres and a larger selection of food options. She goes on to explain how forms were used to give many of the students a say in this year’s prom. The creative freedom granted to students to contribute  is what made it so memorable this year.