{"id":16016,"date":"2020-05-20T16:00:06","date_gmt":"2020-05-20T23:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/?p=30000010815"},"modified":"2020-05-23T17:43:27","modified_gmt":"2020-05-24T00:43:27","slug":"i-just-wanted-to-dance-with-loss-of-prom-local-teens-are-finding-new-ways-to-celebrate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/i-just-wanted-to-dance-with-loss-of-prom-local-teens-are-finding-new-ways-to-celebrate","title":{"rendered":"‘I just wanted to dance’: With loss of prom, local teens are finding new ways to celebrate"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jordan High School senior Rickey Harvey experienced a second wave of disappointment when the calendar notification popped up on his phone the same day his prom would have taken place, a sad reminder that he would not be suiting up in his fanciest attire, his date on his arm, to see all his friends before they head off to different colleges.<\/p>\n

The first of his three older siblings to go to prom, Harvey, an accomplished basketball and football player for Jordan, had spent nine months figuring out what suit to wear, what car to rent, what flowers to buy, but after all was said and done (and canceled) he said, somewhat defeated, \u201cI just wanted to dance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Jordan High School senior Rickey Harvey. The man just wanted to dance. Courtesy Shalissa Collier.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Poly High School Senior Alana Snyder never got the chance to pick out the baby-blue, backless dress she’d envisioned herself wearing at her prom.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up always watching the movies where the girls go to their prom and they get all dressed up,\u201d Snyder said. \u201cPoly only has a senior prom, so it\u2019s not like I got to go to prom last year, this is going to be my one and only. It\u2019s pretty upsetting.\u201d<\/p>\n

What high school seniors across Long Beach Unified School District are experiencing is an unprecedented cancellation of events<\/a> due to the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy heart goes out to these kids, these are such important, formative years,\u201d said Katie Pederson, director of special event sales at House of Blues Anaheim, where Poly was to have its prom, May 23. \u201cTheir memories are going to be drastically different than a lot of other people, because they\u2019re going to be that class that didn\u2019t get to have their prom, didn\u2019t get to have that memory.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prom, considered a right of passage shared not only by students, but their families, teachers, administrators and more that have shepherded them through the ups and downs of making it to graduation, is no easy feat to be able to attend, and it’s even more difficult to have it taken away, no matter the health and safety reasons behind the decision.<\/p>\n

“Seniors leaving on that last day, on March 13 were asking, \u2018Does this mean we don\u2019t get prom?\u2019” said Jordan high principal Veronica Coleman. “I said, \u2018It doesn\u2019t look good, I don\u2019t know,\u2019 so there were a lot of unknowns the day they left but it wasn\u2019t too long after that, that we had to start putting out notices that there would be no prom.”<\/p>\n

The day before Jordan’s prom would have taken place at the Old Ranch Country Club in Seal Beach on May 16, Coleman said this would be the first time she\u2019s ever missed prom in the 12 years she’s been principal.<\/p>\n

“I look forward to the level of excitement that the kids have, I look forward to seeing their outfits and just celebrating with them,” Coleman said. “They look so beautiful, they look so amazing and their behavior matches their dress. It\u2019s just such a classy night for our kids. And they\u2019re so excited about it. They come in almost trembling with excitement.”<\/p>\n

\"\"
Poly High School 2018 Senior Class President Lani Botros post-prom at the House of Blues in Anaheim. Photo by Zoe De Young, courtesy Kasandra Khiev.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Harvey’s mother, Shalissa Collier, who said she has “over 30 kids at Jordan who call me mom,” called it her son’s “last soir\u00e9e before adulthood.”<\/p>\n

\u201cTo see all of them go through it, you know, they\u2019re down in their feelings, it\u2019s sad for me, it hurts me because they deserved it,\u201d Collier said. \u201cThese kids, they really deserved this opportunity, but corona felt different.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Poly High ASB President Kasandra Khiev, her prom would have been one of the only dances she didn’t have to help set up or break down. The first time she worked a prom was in 2018 at the House of Blues in Anaheim, where her prom would have been on the 23rd.<\/p>\n

“I felt like their prom was perfect,” said Khiev. “At dances, there’s always a point where you feel like the dance floor is dead, but at that prom in particular at the House of Blues, I didn\u2019t see a dull moment. There was always something for everyone to do, even if you weren\u2019t into dancing. And the decorations made everything so beautiful. Everyone was having a good time.”<\/p>\n

\"\"
Poly High School’s prom in 2018 at the House of Blues in Anaheim. Photo by Zoe De Young, courtesy Kasandra Khiev.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

House of Blues’ Katie Pederson said her venue holds about 180 private events each year, 30 to 40 of those being for high schools, whether proms, winter formals or homecomings. Though many high schools have canceled proms this year, she said, some are holding out, as late as the end of the summer, that they can still throw an event.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re talking about doing it with restrictions, maybe you can\u2019t bring a date, maybe you have to dance 6 feet apart, I don\u2019t know what it will look like, but I\u2019m not giving up hope that kids can have that experience,\u201d Pederson said.<\/p>\n

Wilson High\u2019s prom would have been at the Santa Anita Race Track on Saturday, May 30, so the school\u2019s activities team is salvaging the age-old tradition of crowning a king and queen this year, just not in person.<\/p>\n

Seniors can now vote for a \u201cQuara-King\u201d and \u201cQuara-Queen\u201d to be crowned on Friday, May 29 broadcasted live from the school\u2019s Athletics and Activities page on Instagram @woodyatlbwilson<\/a> for students to watch from their phones.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Wilson High School’s prom queen Delilah Dy and prom king James Alcorn at The Phoenix Club in 2019. Courtesy Samiya Terry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Senior class president Samiya Terry said the upcoming event is just one of the ways the school is trying to keep up students\u2019 spirits, but even in her position of leadership, it hasn\u2019t been easy rising to the occasion.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m supposed to have a positive outlook on everything and be there for the seniors, but it\u2019s kind of hard when you\u2019re also dealing with the same thing that they\u2019re going through and don\u2019t know what\u2019s happening,\u201d Terry said. \u201cBut we\u2019re trying to come up with different stuff to have a positive outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

The recently crowned CIF-SS champion basketball player, who will be playing for Cal State Monterey Bay starting in the fall, said her team there is planning to throw a small graduation party for the incoming freshmen, but it won\u2019t be the same as that \u201clast goodbye.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s saying goodbye to all your friends, but also enjoying the moment,\u201d Terry said. \u201cI think that\u2019s the biggest celebration that we could have, after graduation obviously. Prom to me would be just saying my farewells, without really having to say them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Wilson High School’s Junior Class Council (who are seniors this year) at prom at the Phoenix Club in 2019. From left: Claire Grover, Samiya Terry, Camryn Krueger, Natalie Quinn and Emma Royle. Courtesy Samiya Terry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some parents are planning to throw their own makeshift proms, maybe during the summer if it\u2019s deemed safe to gather in larger groups. Snyder said her parents and some of her friends\u2019 parents may plan a warehouse party for the kids, if possible.<\/p>\n

Collier is also in the midst of discussing throwing a “mock prom.” She\u2019s not sure what such an event will look like just yet, but she\u2019s hopeful it\u2019ll make the graduates feel special, give them all a chance to celebrate their hard work, even dress up a little, and relish the relationships they\u2019ve formed throughout their high school careers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just want it to work out for the babies,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wilson High\u2019s prom would have been at the Santa Anita Race Track on Saturday, May 30, so the school\u2019s activities team is salvaging the age-old tradition of crowning a king and queen this year, just not in person.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":71047,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_":"","_author_alias":"","cap-aim":"","cap-description":"","cap-display_name":"","cap-first_name":"","cap-jabber":"","cap-last_name":"","cap-linked_account":"","cap-newspack_employer":"","cap-newspack_job_title":"","cap-newspack_phone_number":"","cap-newspack_role":"","cap-user_email":"","cap-user_login":"","cap-website":"","cap-yahooim":"","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_email_html":"","newspack_email_type":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_hide_page_title":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_show_share_buttons":"","newspack_sponsor_byline_prefix":"","newspack_sponsor_disclaimer_override":"","newspack_sponsor_flag_override":"","newspack_sponsor_only_direct":"","newspack_sponsor_url":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[3,17831,1508],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[2744],"class_list":["post-16016","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hi-lo","tag-instagram","tag-coronavirus","tag-high-school","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16016","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16016"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16016\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16016"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16016"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16016"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=16016"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=16016"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}