Prom is coming up on April 18 from 8 to 10 at the Kansas Union ballroom. Senior Student Council Co-President Kyle Sikes said that prom is special for the students attending and planning it.
“The community of the students, the environment that they bring and the energy that prom has every year, makes it really special,” Sikes said.
The last time prom was held at the Kansas Union Ballroom was in 2022, when this year’s seniors were freshmen. Ever since, prom has been held at Abe and Jake’s.
“They’ll be the only class that remembers having that as their freshman year formal venue, and so kind of their first dance and last dance would be there,” Sikes said.
Student Council Adviser Steve Heffernan said while the location of prom changed, the KU Ballroom is not new for the school and is still a strong location.
While the ballroom is back in rotation for the prom venue, senior Lailah Lewis said Abe and Jake’s has been a tradition for the venue in recent years.
“It’s already been known that it was supposed to be Abe and Jake’s; it should stay like that. It’s been like that for the past four years. It’s a very pretty venue. Everyone’s very aware of it,” Lewis said.
Although prom has been at Abe and Jake’s, senior Lillian Hethcoat said traditions are preserved by pictures for the underclassmen to look up to, for them to get excited.
“Every year I see the pictures of [Abe and Jake’s], and it looks so fun. It’s something to be excited for over the years, and now it’s not going to be that anymore. I’ve been in this venue before and I just don’t know how it will live up to Abe and Jake’s reputation,” Hethcoat said.
However, the KU Ballroom isn’t seen as a sufficient venue in the view of a camera. Senior Fiorella Leistner said that the KU ballroom will still be a satisfactory venue in comparison to Abe and Jake’s.
“I know a lot of people don’t really like the KU ballroom, but I thought freshman year, with formal being there. I didn’t have a problem with it,” Leistner said.
Even though prom has been moved to the KU ballroom, Hethcoat said she is still excited for prom.
“I’m excited for my last dance. I want to go out with a bang,” Hethcoat said.
