In a surprising, last-minute revelation that pleased many Diamond Bar High School upperclassmen who had been hoping for more events as the school year came to a close, DBHS administration allowed an in-person prom on May 15, organized by USB and this year’s junior class officers.

 While the event is usually held at an indoor venue away from campus, this year’s “Enchanted Garden Party”-themed prom was outdoors, taking place in the DBHS amphitheater. Additionally, tickets cost much less than usual–only $20-30 depending on whether students took advantage of early-bird sales, and whether they had activity cards. There were 360 people in attendance and tickets were sold out according to USB social commissions manager and organizer Jenny Dunn

“Prom this year was on campus but did not have any dancing in order to adhere to CDC guidelines,” Dunn said via Instagram messages. “We tried our best to still make a fun experience for our seniors and juniors, despite the circumstances.”

The event offered activities such as table games like pool and foosball, a photo booth and a calligraphy station where students could get professional calligraphy lettering for free. Dunn said the group aimed to emulate the traditional prom experience while working past financial and time restrictions. Due to high demand, the event was even moved back a day, as it was originally set to take place May 14.

“We definitely had a lot less time to plan for prom this year because we honestly didn’t even think that we would be able to do something like this,” Dunn said. “Our budget was cut but we worked with what we had. We had such an amazing support system from the staff, so without them, we definitely couldn’t have pulled this event off.”

Although Akash George, class of 2022 president, and Dunn originally came up with the idea for the event in April, they refrained from submitting an activity request until May due to uncertainties surrounding the feasibility of the event. The group had to navigate last-minute cancellations and struggled with booking vendors for certain events.

The event, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., followed a set schedule posted by the official 2021 DBHS prom account, @dbprom2021. The first hour was dedicated to admissions, before the Prom King and Queen–seniors Zayn Siddique and Breanna Yang–were revealed at 7:30 p.m. The remaining time, students spent on activities. Throughout the event, music was played from a collaborative Spotify playlist to which all students were allowed to contribute.

Senior Annika Revilla, who attended prom, said that she enjoyed the event and thought it was a fun experience. 

“The prom transformed the quad we’ve grown used to into a beautiful wonderland filled with lights and colors,” senior Diego Tamayo said. “Candles shone softly, posters were luminous and the overhung lighting was calming and brought warmth to the area below.”