SAN ANTONIO — Scores of East Central upperclassmen lined up for a nasal swab Wednesday—the last test they’ll have to pass before celebrating prom Saturday night.
The coronavirus pandemic canceled last year’s prom, meaning seniors have yet to enjoy this dance.
“We can’t really see the smiles because they’re behind the masks, but you can tell by their eyes they’re excited,” Principal Shane McKay said. “They’re almost seeing this as an opportunity to be a part of an historic event: You get to have a prom, still in a pandemic.”
This year’s theme is “A Thousand Nights.”
Students will still have to wear masks, and they won’t be able to dance in packs. Nurses will take their temperatures and confirm they’ve received a negative COVID-19 test before they admit students into the outdoor space on campus where the dance will take place.
Volunteers will set small tables up so students can mingle without congregating in large groups.
“Before last year, I was sort of indifferent toward prom,” Senior Brooke Rayl said. “I always thought, ‘Yeah, I’ll go, you know. It’ll be fun,’ but it was never on my bucket list.”
She said her attitude changed this year, especially after her older brother’s prom was canceled in 2020.
“It just made me realize some of these moments are very important and that I need to take advantage of them,” she said.
Alex Luevanos says he still needs to ask his date out, but is confident she’ll say "Yes."
“Since the beginning of high school, this is something I’ve been looking forward to,” the junior soccer player said. “It’s prom. You don’t get to experience it all the time.”
McKay said he asked parents how the school could send students out properly, and hosting prom was their top response.
“We just wanted a chance for students to get back together and be with their friends—many of whom they’ve not seen if they’ve been on remote instruction,” McKay said. “Just to have that opportunity to be a part of a school tradition that matters so much to our students.”
“They’re going to be able to look back on it and say, ‘Do you remember when?’” McKay continued.
Rayl says she and her date plan to get dinner downtown before returning to campus for the dance.
“It’s really hitting me this year that I’m going to be moving three hours away and I won’t be seeing a lot of my friends,” she said, making reference to graduation. “This will be a few hours where we can just hang out and look really fancy and have some fun.”