On Saturday, April 13th, Spring Lake High School had their 2024 “Great Gatsby/Masquerade” Prom. A seamless and trouble-free prom leaves many with the question: “What goes into planning prom to make it seem like it’s out of a movie?” The Laker Anchor sat down with Brooklyn Verplank, president of the junior class Student Council, to dive deeper.
What did the planning process look like?
Verplank: The planning process involved lots of communication with different levels within our school. Mrs. Thompson and Mrs. Crawford are the junior class advisors and they were essential to the success and planning process. For the most part, it was the Junior Class Student Council that worked with their advisers throughout the year. We also received help from the Sophomore Class Student Council later on in the year.
When did you start the planning process?
We had to begin planning in August of 2023. We had to book our venue 7-8 months out as soon as we had the established date given to us by Mr. Armey.
Why was SL prom so much earlier than past years?
Spring Lake High School prom was much earlier than normal this year because the venue had double booked. Fortunately, we were able to keep the venue and push our date up a week earlier. We received a lot of feedback about how early prom was, but if we wanted to keep our venue at the Spring Lake Country Club, it was the only option.
What was the most challenging part of the planning process?
The most challenging part of planning prom was communicating between managers at the venue, the DJ, the advisers, the rest of the student council, Mrs. Brakora and Mr. Armey. There were many levels of administration involved, and in order to keep everyone on the same page at all times, there was constant communication. While it was challenging, it was also a wonderful learning experience as I was able to work with many levels of management and incorporate multiple perspectives into the planning process.
What advice would you give to the rising Junior Student Council?
My advice to the rising Junior Student Council is to begin planning early and to delegate tasks. Working beneath many levels of management means that every process takes longer than expected, as decisions are made by those in positions of authority. By delegating tasks, the checklist won’t be so overwhelming to one person. The process can be a lot of fun and very rewarding, especially the creative decorative aspects, and I know they will work hard to create a great prom for next year.
