This year’s prom will be held on May 3 at The Ranch in Loveland. In the past few months there has been some controversy over the selected date due to conflicting events. The weekend of May 3 is also the same weekend as DECA Nationals. “The dates for venues are booked months in advance, so due to the planning time, we were limited to very few options,” junior Student Council Vice President Mikaela Madsen said. “It was either DECA Nationals weekend or Easter weekend … we are very sad to have conflicting schedules with DECA, especially knowing that many of Fossil students participate.”

Planning for prom begins shortly after the homecoming dance. The dance is coordinated by student council class representatives, parent volunteers, the administration, and other faculty. The Ranch was the chosen venue again this year because, “it fits our budget, isn’t too far away, and is big enough for our student body,” Madsen said. The theme for this year’s dance is still confidential however Madison ensures it will be, “sentimental, elegant and beautiful.”

After Prom, an event put on by parents to provide a safe after prom environment, had as slow start in the fall this year. In January, the FRHS newsletter Ridge Line wrote, “After Prom is in jeopardy of not taking place as we have no parents that have committed to plan the event.” In past years, this event has been planned by 11 junior parents to head individual committees. Senior mom Joni Baker was the food chairperson for last year’s event. She was in charge of contacting business in order to provide enough food for the event. “I put about 12 hours in total calling all of the businesses,” Baker said.

After the January Ridge Line was released, many parents responded by contacting Principal Will Allen. “We had probably 10 or 12 parents respond saying they would help [and] a dad [has] volunteered to organize it,” Allen said. Although there was a late start to planning, After Prom will still occur this year.

In response to the question of advice for new volunteers, Baker said, “The great thing is there are great notes passed on from year to year, so as long as you have those, it is really easy to make calls [and organize].”

Last year approximately 850 students attended After Prom. Allen hopes to see students at the event, rather than other non-sanctioned parties. “Everyone takes off their expensive clothes and shoes and just has fun.”