Decorative pillars towered over the dance floor and strings of ivy leaves wrapped around glowing lights, transforming the Washtenaw Golf Club into a dazzling Olympus garden for the evening.
As CHS juniors, seniors and their guests took to the dance floor only one thing felt noticeably different this year: the absence of teachers. At Community tight-knit relationships between students and faculty are fostered, and the presence of teachers at prom became something familiar and often expected. From assisting with the behind-the-scenes planning to posing for photos with students, the teachers have traditionally played a major role in crafting the night’s atmosphere.
This year however, the teacher strike interrupted that tradition.
Due to strike related restrictions, staff had to step back, meaning most teachers were unable to attend the dance, nor were they able to kick-start prom planning. Senior students quickly stepped up to keep prom preparations moving, yet things still weren’t the same without the usual guidence of CHS teacher Ryan Silvester.
“It was much more stressful this year,”
Senior Sophie Alcumbrack McDaniel said, “the second half of planning Ryan was able to be paid, and having that authority in the room helped pull the rest together.”
Prom planning begins around three months before the actual dance, and meets on a weekly basis to ensure everything from theme and decorations to budgeting and logistics in order for the event. The team splits up into focus groups leading up to prom, then spends the morning-of transforming the empty venue into an intricately detailed celebration.
“[it was especially] rewarding this year, setting up the day of prom and seeing it all come together was such a relief,” Alcumbrack McDaniel says.
Even with the event itself coming together successfully, some students said the dance felt unfamiliar, without teachers there to celebrate alongside them. Parent volunteers stepped up to chaperone prom, it was no replacement for the social aspect of student-teacher bonds.
For CHS senior Caitlin Smith, a highlight of last year’s dance was the teachers being there to celebrate with the students.
“[The teachers] like to watch us dance, it’s such a wholesome moment that I missed seeing this year.” Smith said.
Throughout the evening students still packed the dance floor, got photos taken and sang along to music as usual. But for some missing teachers created a noticeable gap in a tradition that is deeply rooted within the culture of CHS As the strike continues and both teachers and students are unsure of what is to come with teacher involvement in extracurriculars, both staff and students hold out hope.
For CHS junior Lola Yribar she hopes to see the familiar faces of her teachers next year at the dance.
“I’d love to see them there next year,” Yribar says, “It’s just one of those special things that happens and you can’t help but think ‘wow, this would only happen at Community.’”
