Southern Lehigh upperclassmen made their way to Steel Stacks in Bethlehem on Saturday, May 18, to celebrate the event that everyone has been waiting for: prom. No other school-hosted event is quite anticipated as this one. This year, prom was without a doubt a success due to the diligent prom committee.
The prom committee worked especially hard this year to get their hands on what they believed to be an amazing venue. The event was hosted at the ArtsQuest Center in Downtown Bethlehem. The historic Steel Stacks made this year’s venue truly unforgettable.
“Last year when we booked the venue, ArtsQuest had never held a prom before!” said Rosalie Mattiola, the junior class president who took a huge part in planning this year’s prom. “When Mr. Ruch saw the Musikfest Cafe, he said ‘we’re not going to find a place better than this, ever. Let’s book it.’”
With every new year, the junior class officers and a few volunteers are faced with the daunting task of planning prom. This year was especially intimidating with a venue that has never been tackled before.
The prom committee is in charge of fundraising, budgeting, and decorating for the event. While it may seem overwhelming, “the ArtsQuest team was phenomenal,” Mattiola said. “They made our work so much easier. The event planners made sure everything ran smoothly and catered to our every request”.
Mattiola would also like to give a huge thank you Mr. Ruch, Mrs. Siegfried, Mr. Briesch, and Mrs. Donald for all their help and hard work.
The food offered at prom consisted of a variety of hors d’oeuvres including chicken fingers, salad, mozzarella sticks, and fruit, along with different pasta stations. The food was a big hit.
“I didn’t have the pasta, but I heard it was the best part,” senior Julia Mayer said, “and I really liked the ambiance.”
There were many different food options to keep all guests full and satisfied. Toward the end of the night, there were two ice cream bars offered as dessert.
Besides dancing, there was plenty to do at this unique venue. The second floor offered more seating areas and a formal photo booth. The formal photo booth was for guests who wanted a more classic, professional prom picture with either their friends or their date.
Downstairs was an all expenses-paid photobooth. Students had the chance to choose from different fun accessories, such as hats and glasses, and received a free four-frame strip of pictures.
Perhaps the most exciting event of the night is the crowning of the prom king and queen. Once students arrived at the venue and got their wristbands, they used iPads to vote for prom king and queen. Female nominees included Mckenzie Delp, Haley Risi, Maddie Kosce, Nicki Yates, and Rosie Mattiola. The male nominees included Matthew Roe, Jacob Del Priore, Tom Dex, Evan Holland, and Ryan Kearns.
The winners this year were prom king Matthew Roe and prom queen Mckenzie Delp.