Grad and prom details still up in the air

DARIUS SHAHHEYDARI
PONTIAC May 6, 2020
Pontiac High School Principal Debra Stephens has been reassuring her graduating class that there will be a celebration of their completion of secondary school, but due to COVID-19, the exact details are still being worked out.
Stephens reached out directly in a video posted on the school’s social media. In the message, she shared her sympathies for the psychological difficulties that the quarantined students might be going through and said that the prom festivities are unlikely to be taking place in June like they would any other year.
Stephens also reassured the graduates that the money they raised through fundraisers is not going anywhere and that as soon as the school is able to gather again, they will be using the money for the prom ceremony as initially intended.
Graduates do fundraisers, such as bake sales, throughout their senior year so that they can afford to hire a professional decorator to make the Pontiac Agricultural Hall look the way they want. The prom dinner is usually held at the hall, where on most occasions there are more than 400 people attending.
In an interview with THE EQUITY, Stephens talked about the efforts that have already been put in and the anticipation of the graduates.
“The girls have purchased their dresses,” she said. “They get those in January in anticipation and the guys started thinking about their suits and tuxedos and they’ve started thinking about ‘What do I want to drive to this thing?’”
PHS holds their graduation ceremony the following school year, in November. That event takes place at the school, where there are usually over 200 people in attendance , with family, friends and other community members being part of the ceremony.
“We’re still hoping that by November, we will be able to do something even if it’s with fewer people,” said Stephens.
She concluded the video by mentioning that students will be given the chance to go into the school and pick up their belongings from their lockers. At the time of the interview, she said this plan is still being discussed with the ministry and no concrete dates have been given as to when this could take place or how it will be organized.