Come Fly With East: 2019 Prom Preview

photo by Annakate Dilks

Prom, themed “Come Fly With East,” will be held at Union Station on May 11 from 8-11 p.m.

Tickets will be available for $40 outside room 307 before/after school and during lunch between April 29 and May 10. Like last year, students who face financial burdens when renting or buying tuxedos can contact digital design teacher Jennifer Hair for assistance.

The choice of theme was largely inspired by an iconic, luxury airline — Pan American World Airways (Pan Am). Pan Am was the principal and largest international air carrier from 1927 until its collapse in 1991.

“Nowadays, airplanes are basically just flying buses with minimal comfort and most people don’t like to fly long distance,” junior StuCo class secretary and fundraising committee member Ian Gould said. “But back then, it was super luxurious.”

According to Gould, one of the highlights of the night will be a projection of a cityscape onto one of the large walls that will give attendees the illusion that they’re flying. Other decorations will include a photo booth where prom-goers will take their “passport photos,” travel posters, velvet rope lines and a red carpet.

“Everywhere you look, there’s going to be something to do,” StuCo junior class sponsor Jennifer Hair said. “We want the kids to keep having a good time from the moment they walk in to the moment they leave.”

Local funk, rhythm and blues, soul and disco band KC Funk Syndicate will be performing again this year. The group also performed at last year’s circus-themed Prom.

Last year, Prom was held at the Abbott, an event space located in the Crossroads, rather than the traditional East Prom location, Union Station. Due to the space’s larger size, the 2019 Prom will be back at Union Station. Last year’s location switch-up gave junior StuCo a new concept idea that they may implement in the next few years.

“Our idea was that every other year [Prom] would be at Union Station so that people would get to experience two different ones, like one at Union Station and one at the Abbott or Kauffman Field,” StuCo special events co-committee chair Brigid Wentz said.

According to sophomore and 2018 Prom attendee Lydia Seymour, Prom will be much better at Union Station because the Abbott was overcrowded, comparatively.

“I was really sad that it wasn’t at Union Station last year so I’m excited to be able to experience it at both venues,” Seymour said.

multimedia by Jackie Cameron