Post Prom Important to More than Just Students

An easy way to keep high school students from heading down the shore immediately after the prom is to lock them in one place … and Upper Moreland’s been doing it for more than 50 years.

On Friday night, the Upper Moreland High School gym will double as a post prom party venue for students. The party lasts from 11:30 p.m. until 4 a.m.

(It is completely optional.)

Upper Moreland Post Prom Chairwoman Moureen Wenik said the focus of the post prom is to give the high school students a safe place to go following the big event, but the after party is also a longstanding tradition in the community.

Wenik said residents and those in the business community have been prepping to transform the gym into a party venue since the beginning of the school year. Some of the glitz comes from large 4-by-8-foot wall panels, which are decorated by those in the community. Wenik said the panels have been housed at local businesses since March and have recently been installed in the gym over Memorial Day weekend.

She was mum on this year’s theme, but she said the gym now looks spectacular. 

“It’s an exercise in set design, really,” Wenik said. “It’s absolutely amazing how it really transforms the gym and it’s wonderful that it’s a community event. People were working on decorating the gym that don’t even have kids in the district.” 

Every “wall station” features a typical post-prom activity — photo booth, air hockey, DJ with dancing …

The Upper Moreland Fire Marshal inspected the gym for party use on Thursday, and residents will be able to walk through the gym to check out the decorations prior to the party from 8 to 10 p.m. on Friday.

“The walk-through gives people a chance to see what the community has done to decorate the gym,” Wenik said. “ We’ll also be asking for donations, as the whole party is sponsored by donations.” 

And, in keeping with the community theme, the gym will stay glitzed-up for Saturday, when it will play host to a dance for KenCrest residents.