The Neshaminy High School Junior Prom is fast approaching as we come up on these colder months. After the lack of social events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students are very excited to finally have another school dance to hang out with their friends and have a wonderful time, but there are differing opinions on the safest approach.

Although it may not seem like much time has passed, for Neshaminy juniors, this is going to be the first school dance since their Freshman Homecoming in 2019.

Emily Myers, a junior who attended the Homecoming dance, is very excited for the opportunity to go to a similar event this winter. She was planning on going to the Freshman Formal, and had even already purchased a dress for the event, but it was cancelled in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 quarantine.

“It was fun and cool because as freshmen it was so new to us and everything was a big deal to us back then,” Myers said.

However, a very large change to this coming Junior Prom is that COVID-19 will be a factor in how everything will play out.

Unlike the Senior Prom, the Junior Prom does not require students to be vaccinated to attend, due to the location.

Many people, including Myers, have strong opinions one way or another on if this is the right way to go about things.

“Having vaccines mandated definitely would make me feel a lot better about attending because I am vaccinated. I guess I can see why some people think it’s unfair, but I think it would be the best way to go about things to make everyone safer,” Myers said.

With COVID-19 cases often fluctuating in severity, Neshaminy students and staff have tried to make the most effective calls on whether these events are safe enough to be held or not.

Myers also stated that she doesn’t feel like Neshaminy is taking as many precautions as they should be, but understands that it is not completely up to them anymore now that the Pennsylvania mask mandate has been lifted.

For some students, this will be their first ever dance at Neshaminy. One Neshaminy junior in particular, who did not attend the 2019 Homecoming dance, is very happy to be able to go to this one.

A Neshaminy student, who is fully vaccinated and has recently gotten over COVID-19, has similar views to a lot of the fellow staff and students. Unlike Myers though, he isn’t as phased by the lack of a vaccine requirement for attending the prom.

“Well I feel like it’s not a concern since I already had COVID-19, but before then it was definitely a concern for me,” he stated in regard to the current COVID-19 safety issues surrounding the prom.

“I think it’s slightly unfair to make vaccines mandatory in the first place. They’re not mandatory for school, and I don’t really see why the prom should be any different,” he said. “Some kids aren’t even allowed by their parents or guardians to get the vaccine, so it seems a little unfair that the school is selective in when you need a vaccine and when you don’t.”

Even with the uproar of controversy around the COVID-19 regulations in place, there are some lighter things on the topic of Junior Prom to talk about as well.

People are already picking up their prom looks and many of the dresses are being displayed on an Instagram account with the username @neshjrprom2023. Students can send in their outfits to be posted on the account and be praised by their fellow peers. Many girls are taking the neon theme to heart and buying colorful dresses ranging from bright pink to neon blue.

Everyone planning to attend cannot wait for the magical night to be upon us. Here’s to hoping it doesn’t get cancelled again!