This Thursday, April 29, tickets for this year’s school-sponsored prom will be going on sale to the student body – but this year’s prom is going to look a little different. There will be no sit-down dinner this year, nor will any herd, or group dancing, be permitted. Slow dancing and such with your partner will be allowed, but masks are to be worn at all times.

In addition, this year’s prom will be held – barring rain – at the Dover Area Middle School football field, with no high heels or bare feet being permitted. Attire is also likely to be less formal, and the event will be slightly shorter than normal, lasting about two hours, as opposed to the typical three. There is also going to be a limit of 250 tickets sold, as opposed to the 350 to 400 that are typically purchased. This year’s ticket prices will, however, be significantly cheaper than those of years past- with tickets this year set to go on sale for a reasonable $20, and opposed to the typical $60. Tickets will also be available to seniors first, followed by juniors. However, for all the pivots that have had to be made to ensure a successful prom, the staff behind the event have done their best to ensure this year’s prom sports as few differences as possible. 

One of the event’s key organizers this year has been history teacher and senior class advisor Teri Marlowe. She’s been working tirelessly over the last few months to ensure that this year’s seniors get to experience a prom to remember. “I think kids are going to be excited to realize that there are very few differences. We’re trying to give these kids as normal an experience as possible – we just have to be a little more cautious this year,” Marlowe said when discussing the changes of this year’s prom. A king and queen will still be crowned, and as always, the school has arranged for a local restaurant to cater the event. Moonlight Cafe, a local restaurant hit particularly hard by the pandemic, will be stepping into that role this year.