On May 21, 2022, Lake Stevens High School students attended a masquerade ball-themed prom. This was the first dance we’ve had since pre-COVID, and the next to the last for our seniors. Students were beyond excited to go.

“We were really excited to have a prom, especially when we were pretty sure we wouldn’t have one for so long,” senior Leila Prevost said.

Initially, the prom was scheduled to occur on May 15 at the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) in Seattle, which LSHS had booked since pre-COVID.

“What happened was, the staff at MOHAI had basically expected us to cancel again, and if we happened to cancel under that circumstance, the museum would take our initial deposit. But then we didn’t end up canceling, so they basically were like ‘Okay, well, we expected you guys to cancel again, so we don’t have the staff to support your group.’ And that was the day after we found out that we would be able to do prom, so we were finally getting a plan together, and that happened, so we had to find a new venue, so everyone was freaking out,” junior Lily Scrivens said.

The Junior Class prom planning committee did what they needed to do and rescheduled the prom.

“We were all scrambling to find a new venue, but we ended up finding Tulalip Casino and it all worked out,” Scrivens said.

The prom was very well attended. With 980 students purchasing a prom ticket, some thought it was too crowded.

“No one could really dance because it was so crowded, and everyone that was in the middle couldn’t get out because everyone was bumping into them and wouldn’t let them pass,” junior Emma Missroon said.

“I thought the dance floor seemed super packed while most of the tables were deserted,” junior Rachel O’Malley said.

Although it was packed, the majority of students still had a good time.

“Yeah, it was super fun. I think the Class of 2022 got super lucky in general, especially since we got to enjoy it with the underclassmen as well who haven’t had any formal dances,” Prevost said.

Prom provided another chance to return to some normalcy in the high school experience, gather with friends and enjoy themselves.

“I thought prom was really fun, and they definitely played some great music,” senior Asher Lawson said.