Erie High School’s student government put on another incredible shining formal prom on April 26th. A lot of thought and time went into planning this perfect golden night for Erie High Students. From generating themes to picking out the perfect date put Erie High’s student government in the spotlight.
November to April. EHS’s student government team started looking into prom 2025 plans in November before Christmas break. “We started talking about prom in November. We took a more serious look at it when the second semester started. The junior members of StuGo have been leading the charge” explained Ryan Salzieder, an English teacher at EHS and the StuGo coordinator.
Prepping for one of the last high school events for Seniors holds a lot of pressure for the planners. A junior at EHS, who is a part of StuGo and has been for two years now, Morgan Fuhrmann, enhanced the pressure StuGo members are feeling. “This year marked the first time our StuGo class was fully responsible for planning prom from start to finish. It was a huge responsibility, but also an amazing opportunity to take full creative control over the event and make it something truly special for our classmates”.
In past years the venue had planned most of their events. This year was the first year that the StuGo class were the ones who planned the whole event and they were able to make it more unique to EHS. “It was more on us as a class for decoration rather than relying on the place itself which took a lot of time and work”, further explained by the Junior Class President, and a StuGo member, Jude Miller.
This year’s StuGo team wanted this prom to be big and golden, but also be the most organized and fun time for all the students. Salzieder added “This year, we took a more focused approach at getting a theme solidified so that we could start branding all of the prom events and decorations around the theme”.
EHS’s StuGo team wanted to get the theme out as soon as they could so all they could worry about were the decorations, ticket, situations, activities at the dance, and music vendors. There was a lot to look forward to with this year’s prom venue because it was smaller and the StuGo team could make it unique and more personal to EHS. “I am excited for a more traditional venue that we can decorate in our own way”, Salzieder felt.
Having a smaller and more intimate prom venue brings a lot of little details to plan and get right for the perfect golden night. Fuhrmann described, “The entire process of preparing for prom took about twelve weeks. We started with visiting our venue which we all agreed was the perfect location, then moved on to selecting a theme that would be memorable and exciting. After that, we spend countless hours planning the layout, designing decorations, and purchasing supplies. We also brainstormed fun activities to include at prom, like the popular sunglasses decorating station, and worked hard to ensure every small detail was taken care of”. Communication, organization, and creativity were needed from the whole StuGo team to bring everything together to make a perfect night for students.
Every big, fun high school event requires long and thoughtful preparation for it to be as memorable as wanted. The breath of relief of success is what keeps most going when planning big, memorable high school events. Salzieder expressed “Extra curricular events are such a huge portion of the high school experience and each year we are driven by the idea that prom (or any event) should be a memorable time for students to take with them long after they graduate”.
“I am really excited to see the results of decoration and planning after seeing the place normally”, Miller conveyed. For the students who planned their own prom made the night and that experience even better.
Fuhrmann also conveyed, “I am most excited to see how everything comes together in real life. Watching everyone have a good time and knowing that I played a part in making that happen will be incredibly fulfilling”. Such a rewarding experience and feeling came over the juniors who were able to see their creative minds come alive to create a fun night for their peers.
No perfect night could be planned without the big supporter behind the student’s ideas. Salzieder being the StuGo leader and teacher behind the scenes, “The Junior members were in charge of the planning and I was just there to make purchases, oversee the big picture, and support their ideas along the way”.
Prom is such a passionate school event project and for EHS StuGo juniors who helped plan the big night had the passion for it. Miller expressed, “I really enjoy being helpful towards others and joining stugo and assisting prom gave me something to look forward to”.
High school prom planning is a team-based process and Furhmann is lucky to have what she thinks is the perfect team to have during this stressful process. “Planning prom became a project I was deeply passionate about, and I was fortunate to have lots of support from Mr. Salzieder and my classmate Jude Miller throughout the process”.
Erie High School’s StuGo team worked harder than ever this year to plan the perfect Golden Lights prom. Through all the hardships and the smallest, maticulast plans, nothing compared to the feeling of prom night, watching everyone have fun and enjoy their night.
