Southern Lehigh Students “Steel the Night” at Prom

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.

About the Contributor

Dana DiGiovanni, Editor-in-Chief

Few on the Spotlight staff has been both a reporter and editor for all four years of their high school career-- this all changed when Dana DiGiovanni entered the Spotlight. With her intensive knowledge of InDesign and two-year reign as editor-in-chief, Dana has certainly set an impressive tone and standard for the remaining Spotlight staff. Dana started out her freshman year as a staff reporter, but soon became co-editor of the Our World section. She was the sole Our World editor in her sophomore year and gained experience learning about what it takes to put a successful paper together. By her junior year Dana earned the coveted position of Editor-in-Chief and held the position through her senior year. “Princess Dana” has surely made a lasting impression here at the Spotlight, and she’ll certainly miss all the laughs she’s shared along the way. “My favorite memories in journalism were after three o’clock gossip sessions in the pub lab, hackey sacking, and Carl Azuz,” Dana said. “I’d like to thank Kylie, Cody, and Ashley for sticking these four years out with me as a team. A special thank you goes out to Mrs. Spritzer for never letting me actually quit and putting up with my foul language.” Even after repeatedly putting the paper together in the ninth hour, Dana still had time to participate in many activities. She was involved with Key Club, Varsity Club, Spanish Club and National Honor Society. She was also a member of the field hockey team, and she managed the boys lacrosse team this year. Aside from school, Dana enjoys watching “Breaking Bad,” “How I Met Your Mother,” and “It’s Always Sunny.” When she isn’t watching Netflix, you can catch her hammocking, listening to music, or piercing her ears. She is also quite the ukulele player, coffee lover, traveler, and concert enthusiast. Leaving the halls of Southern Lehigh is bittersweet for Dana as she turns her back on four years spent at the Spotlight -- and with Mrs. Spritzer. “Mom,” “Spritz,” or “Marlo,” Mrs. Spritzer will be missed dearly. When asked if she has any advice for underclassmen, Dana said: “Don’t take yourself too seriously, make those around you laugh, and try not to worry about things that aren’t in your control because you are exactly where you need to be.” In the fall, Dana will attend the University of South Carolina where she will double- major in International Business and Spanish. She looks to the future with an open and relaxed mind, and can’t wait to see what the future has in store for her.

Setting newspaper records with her time and editorial experience, Dana has left quite the legacy here at the Spotlight. Her presence in the publication lab will be missed, but we know she is off to do amazing things at USC and we wish Dana the best of luck!

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The Spotlight

Southern Lehigh Students “Steel the Night” at Prom