Upperclassmen gathered together at this year’s “Mamma Mia!”-themed prom for a vibrant night of dancing, games and enjoyment at Blanco Urban Venue in San Jose on April 25.
Inside the venue, three floors offered a variety of activities. The lower level served as the dance floor, complete with a DJ set, disco ball and laser beams to hype up the crowd. Junior Joyce He reflected on how the atmosphere of prom felt different compared to regular school dances.
“Prom is not at school, and it’s much more fancy,” Joyce said. “I really liked the venue, the colors were really pretty, and everybody looked gorgeous. I looked forward to taking pictures, hanging out with my friends and dancing all night.”
As students arrived, faculty gave them tickets for the photo booth and fake $200 bills, which they could use for gambling-style games like roulette and poker on the third floor.
Senior class dean Meredith Cranston helped with tasks like check-in and general supervision alongside junior class dean Brian Larsen. She highlighted the significance of the dance to the graduating class and looked back on the seniors’ time at Harker.
“It’s always neat to see everybody dressed up and coming into prom,” Cranston said. “It was really nice for me as the class dean to see all my seniors at their class prom after four years at Harker. You can really see how much it meant to them, how much fun they were having with their friends.”
On the third floor, attendees sampled from a buffet of sweet and savory finger foods: sushi, macarons, lemon loaves, meatballs and “Mamma Mia!”-themed chocolate strawberries. A drink bar available throughout the evening offered three specialty mocktails: the Cranston, a Shirley-Temple-type drink; the Senior Sunset, a sour mix of orange juice and cranberry; and the Mamma Mia Margarita, a fruity pear and Sprite beverage. Baristas prepared each drink fresh upon order.
Senior Chloee Yang noted how the event helped her make meaningful memories with her friends.
“I’m graduating soon, so it was so cool to see so many other people there because I saw some friends I hadn’t talked to in a pretty long time,” Chloee said. “I had dinner with my friends before and went to their house after prom.”
Cranston explained the importance of prom as a meaningful custom for high school students.
“So much of our end-of-year traditions are a rite of passage,” Cranston said. “When you’re a senior at prom, it’s one of those transitions. It’s one of the celebrations of being a young adult and also one of the points where you’re getting ready to leave our community and it really is not just a party, it’s a moment that marks the end of something and a new beginning in a celebratory way.”
