As prom approaches, McCallum’s student body is busy preparing for one of the biggest events of senior year. From organizing decorations and deciding the theme, students have been working hard to ensure the night runs smoothly for everyone. While many students only see the final result, planning the senior prom requires months of fundraising, scheduling, and organization behind the scenes.
Student council director Amy Brodbeck explained that a large part of prom preparation is involving student council members in the setup and distributing responsibilities for the event. Student council officers form committees so underclassmen can help organize prom.
“I get our student council members to form committees so that kids who aren’t seniors will be able to decorate for prom, then also help during prom,” Brodbeck said.
In addition to coordinating volunteers, Brodbeck said she hired a DJ using money raised throughout the year. According to Brodbeck, student council fundraising supports both homecoming and prom expenses.
“I also pay for and set up the DJ,” Brodbeck said. “So we take the money that we have fundraised and pay for not only our DJ and our venue for homecoming, but we can pay for the DJ as well for prom.”
This year’s prom theme is “City of Stars,” inspired by the movie “La La Land”. Senior student body vice president Rylie Ruppersburg explained that the theme was chosen through a student voting process after several ideas were suggested.
“We had a meeting like a month before we voted, and everybody contributed with some ideas, and then we voted on it one day,” Ruppersburg said.
However, selecting a theme is only the beginning of this process. Brodbeck added that planning also includes finding approved venues, organizing decorations, and getting details organized, like table arrangements and lighting. She explained that this depends on district approval, which can make the planning process more complicated.
“You’ve got to think about venues that AISD approves, not just the place, but also lighting and purchasing decorations,” Brodbeck said. “There’s so many different parts.”
Student body president and senior Olivia Pittman said student council plays a major role in making sure every grade contributes to prom in some capacity.
“It is a requirement that all members volunteer at homecoming and prom, so I make a volunteering schedule, look at everyone’s shift requests, and assign them a shift,” Pittman said.
Pittman also added that planning includes voting on vendors, a venue, and decorations, all while keeping the student body involved in decisions.
“Student council has decided on the theme, found vendors, found a venue, and ordered decorations,” Pittman said. “We have been voting as a student council, versus just one person choosing everything.”
Funding prom is another major part of the planning process. Pittman explained that fundraising begins as early as freshman year, with the student council putting together different fundraisers to raise money for the dance.
“Since freshman year, each STUCO class raises money for prom,” Pittman said. “Throughout the years, we have done profit shares, parents’ night out, movie night, and senior jerseys.”
After years of fundraising, Ruppersburg shared that the process of seeing their ideas come to life has been one of the most incredible parts of hosting prom.
“The most exciting part is just seeing our year come together for it,” Ruppersburg said. “It’s exciting to see our own vision come together.”
Besides carefully fundraising and planning prom, Brodbeck explained that organizing ticket sales and check-in ahead of time is also important to avoid chaos on prom night.
“The biggest thing is to not do it at the door,” Brodbeck said. “Having the list of names and having them check in is the best way.”
The senior student body members get a chance to see their years of hard work pay off on prom night. For seniors, prom not only represents a major tradition, but also one of the final memories the class of 2026 will share before they graduate.
“The most exciting part has been thinking about the day of prom and how much fun it will be,” Pittman said. “All of the senior events have been super exciting to look forward to, so I’m excited for prom as well.”
