A sea of colors presses up against the catwalk as the 2019 prom court lines up on stage. Each of the twelve girls holds a rose wrapped in navy blue paper in their hand, waiting for the cue. 2018 prom queen Lila Nelson (‘19) steps on stage, ready to pass on the crown. All eyes are on the girls as they begin to unravel their roses. White. White. And then a blossom of red emerges. Cheers erupt and clapping ensues as Nelson places the crown on the head of the 2019 prom queen: Leah Cape.

Earlier in the year, planning for prom 2019 ran into a snag when it was discovered that the InterContinental Hotel, the traditional prom site for BC, was under construction. This meant that the staircase was no longer available for the Grand March. Instead, the Grand March was held in the main gym at BC. When the news first got out, most of the junior class was apprehensive. The elegance of the staircase had made it a prime spot for pictures–a popular prom activity. In comparison, the gym, while useful for large group yearbook shots, was not what most would envision as the backdrop of a prom photoshoot.

Principal Mr. Gruetzmacher, however, came through with his promise to make the march spectacular. With the help of the BC theater crew, a catwalk lined with lights was set up in the main gym. To complete the Las Vegas feel, ceiling lightning was reduced to sweeping spotlights, and a large screen was set up to project the pairs and trios as they walked down. Junior class advisor Mrs. Linnihan opened the event before handing the mic off to Mr. Fuchs. Most participants walked in pairs or groups of three, but two chose to walk alone: Will Whitaker (‘20) and Rylah Kluck (‘20). Both received well-deserved applause for this.

At the conclusion of the march, prom court was invited back on stage for the coronation of prom queen and king. Through the unveiling of a red rose, Leah Cape was named queen, receiving the crown from Nelson; Desmon Melton received his crown as king from Adarsh Rajaraman (‘19). Though a large portion of the junior class expected it, Cape was surprised to receive the title: “I felt honored just by getting nominated among so many other great candidates for prom court. Honestly, I was a little nervous and surprised to have been selected at the grand march, but I’m so glad that I got to experience it with Des!” The two went down the red carpet amid cheers from their peers. All together, from 5:00 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., prom lasted for almost ten hours, but for many, the experience will last them a lifetime.