Plains students enjoy red carpet treatment

A years worth of dress shopping, match-making and planning finally paid off last Saturday evening for Plains High School students.

Lights hung from the ceiling, shone up from the floor and twinkled in each student’s eyes as they made the most of their “Night in the Spotlight” themed prom. The dance, held at the Sanders County Fairgrounds Pavilion, kicked off around 8 p.m. and lasted until 12 a.m.

Students enjoyed the red carpet treatment, sipping sparking cider as they danced the night away with a backdrop of hip music and Hollywood style decorations.

Andrew Baker and Deana Roseberry were selected as the 2010-2011 prom king and queen. Other nominees included Kenneth Beech, Eddie Stugelmayor, Travis Lilja, Christian Beech, Christian Beech, Jessica Read and Malena Sweet.

According to Kristen Cole, prom committee supervisor, the event was planned by volunteers from the junior class. Cole, who has worked on the event for the last ten years, was pleased with the way students came together from the initial planning stages last fall, while setting up the decorations early last week and taking them down after the event on Sunday.

“What I think makes a good prom are really the individuals who are working on it,” Cole said. “[This class] really pulled together, they’re kind of like a little family. They’re willing to work and that’s how we were able to put together such a nice prom.”

Although a group of about 15 students make the even possible, Cole mentioned Michael Johnson and Diamond LaDeaux specifically for their contributions. Each attended every planning meeting, and without their leadership and hard work the event may not have lived up to its billing.

Cole will store all of the re-useable decorations for next year’s juniors in order to keep costs low and allow them to still have a grand prom.

After the dance, students made their way to The Circle for an after prom breakfast sponsored by CADA. The event, started by Dr. Damschen to be a safe after prom alternative, has become an annual occurrence in Plains.

The meal was sponsored by Communities Against Drugs and Alcohol Abuse (CADAA). Student admission at the meal was including in the purchase of their prom tickets. Those attending received door prizes including anything from iPod accessories to junk food.

Not even a power outage could dampen students’ spirits according to Suzy Vonheeder, owner of The Circle. Despite the technical difficulty the restaurant was packed until nearly 1:30 a.m. when things finally quieted down for the evening.

“It was fun, the kids had a good time. They all got full and that’s the point,” VonHeeder said. “Getting their bellies full so they all get tired and want to go home.”