To finish off this school year, students went down the rabbit hole into a unique prom experience modeled after the Mad Hatter, the peculiar and extravagant character featured in the childhood story Alice in Wonderland.
“One of the members came up with the Mad Hatter theme and everyone loved it, so that’s what we went with,” said Breckan Henkhaus, senior and member of the Prom Committee. “We try to do themes that are more on the unique side, and we all thought that it would create a really fun opportunity for decorations and lights. A balloon artist helped bring the theme to life, and she did a great job with the balloon arches and intro tunnel. The venue was perfect for the dance and for the Mad Hatter theme, so everything came together very well.”
Prom is a tradition at Shorewood that, to many, holds sentimental value, and makes for long-lasting memories with friends. For seniors, prom presents a good way to finish off their high school journey.
“I would say that prom is a fun event because you get to get ready for it, you get to hang out with friends, you get to dance, and there’s usually something with friends afterwards so that’s always really fun [as well],” said Amelia Kohler, senior and prom attendee.
This year’s prom had a variety of attendees from multiple grades. Students expressed that having a variety of age groups present made the event even better.
“There were quite a few underclassmen, so I didn’t feel out of place,” said Sofia Barrett, sophomore and prom attendee. “I had a lot of fun.”
Hoping to make the event more unique this year, the Prom Committee decided to include activities SHS hasn’t had in previous years.
“The Prom Committee is responsible for planning and organizing prom every year,” Henkhaus said. “We pick out a theme and decorations, figure out catering and other fun things like a photo booth or henna, sell tickets, and much more.”
This year, the prom committee hosted the event at The Rivulet. The venue is located in the Third Ward alongside the Milwaukee River. Along with the spacious dance floor, the two-story venue provided easy access outdoors through the riverwalk, allowing for breaks for fresh air and photo opportunities.
“There was a little part where you got to go outside,” Kohler said. “[It was] awesome, because if people thought [the dance] was too overwhelming or too much, they could go outside. It was a beautiful day and it was right along the river, which was amazing.”
Another highlight this year, according to attendees, was the music and DJ that brought the venue to life.
“My favorite part was the DJ,” Kohler said. “I think that he was just awesome. I went up there a lot of times to ask about song recommendations and he always put it up [in] the queue.”
Having made big changes to the traditional prom, comparisons to past dances were expected. Students acknowledged the positives and negatives of both events.
“I feel like last year it stuck more to the theme, like the decorations and everything,” Kohler said. “But I would say that this year it was a better venue.”
As this exciting occasion for many upperclassmen came to a close, the Prom Committee recognized how their event flourished because of the new ideas that made this prom unique.
“I thought it was super successful,” Henkhaus said. “There were a lot of people there and the music was great. I think that the location and venue made the prom so special, it was a very unique experience and I hope that we can use that venue in the future as well.”