As the much-anticipated Prom night nears, Dougherty Valley’s student body frantically buys elaborate dresses, rents limousines and prepares for the night of their lives.

However, hidden under the glamor is the group of students meticulously planning the event so Dougherty can enjoy Prom.

Dougherty’s prom committee was put together at the beginning of the year, and Prom planning went into full swing as soon as Homecoming ended. The concert venue, The Regency Ballroom, was booked a year in advance. Next year’s venue, the California Academy of Sciences, has already been booked for next year’s juniors and seniors.

When asked what she was most looking forward to about Prom, junior Lucy Li replied, “I’m really excited about the venue, because I heard it’s really pretty.”

Prom committee member Annie Wang says the goal of this year’s Prom is to make sure Prom appeals to a wider variety of people, not just those who are willing to “get funky on the dance floor”.

Wang also states that the goal of every Prom is to create an opportunity for students to make memories, start conversations, spark new friendships, reignite old friendships and discuss  something other than academics.

This year’s effort includes students outside of just Leadership, as prom preparation looks to other classes for assistance. The committee has asked student singers of Dougherty Valley to perform live at the event for slow dances, as well as the DVHS art students to help design the centerpieces for the event.

Wang also discussed the prom committee’s favorite parts of prom planning, most notably the food at the event.

“Picking the food. There’s going to be some fabulous food; y’all should bring coolers. The food is going to be so great that you’re going to want to stuff some in your bag.”

Wang also mentioned  how much the prom committee enjoyed visiting the venue and deciding what to do with the two-and-a-half stories allocated to Prom.

“This year, the venue itself isn’t as beautiful, standing by itself, but it provides a lot of opportunities for customization and personalization, so we were thinking about what activities we could put that would make the night fun for everyone,” she said.

This year’s prom theme, “Cirque de Dougherte”, revealed at the Apr. 1 rally, provides many opportunity for the prom committee to make use of this blank slate.

Prom will be held on May 14, at The Regency Ballroom, which is located at 1290 Sutter Street in San Francisco.  

Ticket prices are $80 with ASB and $85 without ASB for the first two weeks. After, the price raises to $85 with ASB and $90 without  ASB. The guest price is a consistent $90 throughout the selling period, which lasts until the week before Prom.