Newtown High Post Prom Set For Midnight, May 21

By John Voket

Newtown High students planning to attend this year’s Senior Prom will have a chance to keep the celebration going until the wee hours of the morning after. But they will be doing it in a safe and supervised environment thanks to a small group of organizers who are planning the first post-prom party in several years.

Post-prom event co-chairs Barbara Manville and Janis Solheim have been quietly ramping up behind the scenes to ensure anyone attending the activity, set for midnight to 5 am May 21, goes home well fed and perhaps with one of several dozen fantastic prizes.

“We wanted to renew this tradition to give both promgoers and any Newtown High junior or senior an event that will leave them talking about it until next year,” Ms Solheim told The Bee Wednesday. “And while this will be a great alcohol, drug and violence-free place for any junior or senior to go after the prom, it will also provide for the peace of mind of parents. Now they won’t have to worry about where their kids are, or if they are out driving around or getting into things that could turn to trouble.”

Downplaying the potential tragic consequences of informal after-prom partying, Ms Manville instead focused on all the activities and prizes she hopes to offer at the 2005 Post-Prom Party, which will be hosted as in years past, by The Gym at Newtown on Commerce Road.

“We’ll have a DJ and MC providing music specifically programmed for what the students enjoy, as well as directing the giveaways, and directing traffic to the food service, games, and other entertainment we are planning,” Ms Manville said.

Besides the music program by 99Dollar DJ Service, there will be a wide choice of food and snacks provided by numerous Newtown area donors, a comedian and hypnotist from HotRoc productions, and loads of prizes including combination TV/DVD players raffled off about every half-hour. The basketball court at The Gym will also be available for students to have pickup games, and a few basketball contests are also planned for part of each hour between 1 and 4 am.

Ms Manville said she is still busy contacting local businesses for donations of food, soft drinks, water, snacks, gift certificates, and other raffle and door prizes.

Anyone interested in supplying something for the post-prom event, or making a donation to help underwrite the activity, is asked to contact Ms Manville at 426-1539 or Ms Solheim at 426-4822.

Ms Solheim noted that besides area businesses, she is calling on any interested parents to pitch in to help at the event.

“We hope to get a few more parents to come out and help the night of the event, or even parents who can donate something for the cause,” she said.

Ms Solheim also wanted parents to know that if they are expecting their children to attend the post-prom party, event volunteers will be on hand to ensure parents know if those children depart the activity before it is over.

“Of course we want everyone to come as close to midnight as possible, but we also want them to stay and enjoy all the activities until it ends at 5 am,” she said. “We want the parents and guardians to know we will be having students call home to inform their parents if they are planning to leave before 4:30 am, for everyone’s protection.”

Following a Wednesday meeting with high school officials, Ms Solheim also confirmed that school personnel would be attending the post-prom event. Besides administrative and faculty representatives, she said she is hopeful that school security personnel will also be on hand to lend assistance if needed.

“It’s important for the students to see familiar faces while they are at the party,” she said. “I know we’ll have parent volunteers on hand to help, but the addition of school personnel is most welcome.”

Any Newtown High School junior or senior interested in attending can get information through the school. Students do not have to attend the prom to attend the post-prom party, Ms Solheim said.