With a laptop situated on the right and papers located on the left, several students’ eyes shift left to right as they enter names into an online database. Transferring physical data into a shared spreadsheet, members of the Senior Class Board simultaneously update one another on the process and progress of organizing prom in a bright-lit room in the 100 building.

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Senior Class Board, composed of 15 officers representing a class of over 800 students, has been planning prom since the beginning of the school year. Whether it be solidifying a prom theme or distributing special stamps to administrators, the representatives of the Class of 2023 have overseen a multitude of factors in the path to prom.

“Planning prom has been a lengthy process,” Senior Class President Renata Garcia said. “We started by booking a venue, DJ, and decorating company. Then, we went on to decide on the food, drinks, playlist, and most importantly, the theme, which was voted on by the student body. Furthermore, we hired a printing company to make themed physical tickets for the attendees to have as keepsakes.”

From selecting the food menu to renting out a venue for a night, the Class of 2023 officers and their advisor–Coral Bachen–were constantly on the phone in and outside of school to figure out the logistics. Fundraising events were also implemented; for instance, there were kickbacks at Chipotle and Huey Magoo’s, as well as a carwash fundraiser on campus.

“The most important part of planning prom was fundraising throughout our four years of high school. All of our hard work and dedication has led up to this moment,” Garcia said. “Without sufficient funds, we wouldn’t have been able to book a beautiful venue and have the best DJ possible.”

Prom packets were made available on Friday, March 10. Completed packets, including signatures from administration and guidance, were turned in from Monday, March 13 to Friday, March 31 at the L-counter during both lunches. During each lunch block for those three weeks, 2-4 Senior Class Board officers were readily available to collect packets and answer any questions students may have had.

“It was a fairly simple process; all I did was go to Student Affairs and Guidance and asked the ladies in the front for the necessary signatures,” senior Cynthia Q. Liu said. “The entire process was efficient and convenient, as it took me less than 10 minutes to do.”

Once the March 31 deadline passed, officers worked after school to alphabetize and record all the paperwork into the master list. In addition, the board had to work closely with various administrators, such as bookkeeper Elizabeth Morales and Assistant Principal Sandra Davis. The budget for prom remained the biggest challenge for the officers.

“The process to plan prom is very stressful,” Senior Class Treasurer Julia Kayser said. “A lot of students don’t realize how much work it takes to make sure that everything was budgeted. Prom is expensive and creating the budget was very complex and hard.”

Additionally, Remind messages were continuously sent out every couple of days to remind seniors to turn in their packets; once they were turned in and approved, students were allowed to purchase a prom ticket the following week from Monday, April 3 to Wednesday, April 12 for $170.

“My favorite part of planning prom has been watching the decorations transform and just getting more information of how cool it’s going to look,” Senior Class Senator Alya Abufele said.

Prom is Saturday, May 6 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at The Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. The theme is “A Night Under the Stars” and the attire is formal. In the weeks leading up the special event, the Senior Class Board officers will be tying up loose ends to ensure that this year’s prom is both fun and successful.