Huntington Prom-goers
Dance the Night Away
Dressed in sharp looking gowns and tuxedos, more than 260 Huntington High School juniors and seniors danced the night away at this year's prom at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury.
A "casino night" theme was chosen for this year's prom and the teenagers dressed the part. "Students danced and celebrated the closing of another year and for half of them, the ending of all their hard work in high school," said teacher Lori Kenny, co-faculty advisor for the Class of 2011 along with teacher Eliana Oranges. "It was a beautiful evening filled with excitement."
Earlier in the evening, many students participated in pre-prom parties during which their parents snapped what seemed to be an endless series of photographs.
"I had a great time at prom," said Class of 2011 valedictorian Carrie Fante, who attended with classmate David Stillman. "The perfect way to spend the night before you graduate is with all of your friends. The whole experience is actually a bit surreal because you know that the next day you will graduate, but prom itself is so much fun and I love seeing everyone, especially all dressed up and dancing together." Ms. Fante will attend the University of Pennsylvania in the fall while Mr. Stillman is headed to Northwestern University in Illinois.
Huntington Principal Dr. Carmela Leonardi thought the event went smoothly. "The prom this year was a fun, friendly and happy event," she said. "Students enjoyed the music and each others' company. Everyone looked impressive in their gowns or tuxedos. Best of all, students were on their best behavior and out to have a good time."
The Crest Hollow was a welcoming host of the glittering affair. Prom-goers dined on beef medallions and chicken parmesan, enjoyed an ice cream dessert and generally had a ball. The Class of 2012 has been raising money for three years to help offset costs associated with the prom, said teacher Erik Bruckbauer, who is co-faculty advisor of the class, along with teacher Camille Tedeschi.
"The prom was a lot of fun," said Matt Curley, who attended with lifelong friend and Class of 2012 President Alexa Giammarino. "I'm so happy I got to spend such an amazing event with all my friends. I wouldn't have wanted to experience this with anyone else. It was crazy, especially knowing this was literally our last day with the school together as graduation was the next day. Getting voted prom king really highlighted my night and I got to dance a lot, but not as much as I would've liked to given I was still not 100 percent. Overall it was just a great night. I've never had to smile for so many pictures before. [It was] definitely a memorable experience."
Ms. Giammarino also enjoyed the evening. "The prom was amazing," she said. "Even though the weather was horrible, it surprisingly stopped for our pre-prom pictures, which was good because we were on a beach. The whole day was so special to me and my friends because one of our really good friends, Shira Moskowitz would be leaving for camp in two days and a lot of us wouldn't be seeing her until our first break in college. So we really made this a night to remember. The prom itself was so much fun. The juniors did a great job with planning it!"
Mr. Curley, who was released from the hospital just days earlier after battling an infection, and Ms. Giammarino are both headed to Loyola University in Baltimore. Mr. Curley was crowned the prom king while Isabelle Senat was named prom queen. Junior Spencer Colwin and Samantha Palmer were tapped as prom prince and princess, respectively.
Anthony Troffa spun the discs to the delight of more than 260 prom-goers. A Huntington teacher and G.O. co-faculty advisor, Mr. Troffa is a professional DJ and kept the crowd hopping on the dance floor and creating an exciting mood throughout the venue.
"I had a fantastic time before, at and after prom this year," said senior Danielle Cerezo, who will attend SUNY College at Geneseo in the fall. "Seeing everyone dressed up in their best was great and of course spending time with my classmates was wonderful. The music was great and easy to dance to. After prom, we just relaxed at my friend's house. It was pretty low-key this year since graduation was the next day. Overall, it was a really memorable night."
"The prom was very successful," Ms. Tedeschi said. "The kids were amazing and the Class of 2012 worked tirelessly to pull off an awesome event." The junior class held a variety of fundraisers to underwrite costs, including bake and ice cream sales and through the sale of sweatshirts. Class officers helped choose the host facility and prom theme and decorating the large room the event was held in.
Mr. Kenny said the affair "proved to be one of the best proms" ever at Huntington High School. "Juniors and seniors showed up in stunning gowns and suits and beaming smiles," she said.
"The Class of 2012 did a phenomenal job," said senior Shayne Larkin, who will attend the University of Delaware in the fall. "The venue was beautiful and the music was great to dance to. But, of course, it was the people who attended who made the prom a truly special experience. I think a lot of the seniors knew it was goodbye and we all danced together and had a great time. It was the last hurrah."