Huntington Prom-goers hit the
Dance Floor
The Milleridge Inn provided the perfect setting for an end-of-year celebration as 371 Huntington High School juniors and seniors partied the night away at this year's prom last Thursday night.
Dressed in smart-looking suits and tuxedos and stunning dresses that ranged from super-hip to simply elegant, the teenagers spent most of their time on the dance floor or huddled up with their date for the evening.
"Prom was a lot of fun," Molly Prep said. "It was great to spend the night with my peers and friends, dancing to the pulsing music and eating delicious food. I'm glad I went!"
Many students earlier attended pre-prom parties during which they posed for what seemed to be an endless series of photos taken by their family members. Transportation from Huntington to the Milleridge Inn in Jericho varied, with some of the teenagers driving themselves while others rode in limousines or even chartered buses.
"The prom was a lot of fun this year," TJ Greenhill said. "The DJ was great and the food was pretty good, too. It was great getting all dressed up with my class one last time."
Cocktail hour food choices included fried calamari, vegetable tempura, baked macaroni and cheese, chicken teriyaki skewers, fresh fruit, chicken fingers and French fries and antipasto. There was also a meat carving station and assorted cheeses and crackers.
For dinner, prom-goers were served a choice of marinated skirt steak, chicken parmigiana or fillet of sole. A chocolate fudge brownie with vanilla ice cream and cake was served for dessert.
"The DJ was Amazing"
"I thought it was great," Rob Fiato said about this year's prom. "The DJ was amazing and it was all-around a thousand times better than last year."
Class of 2014 faculty advisors Gina Colica and Victoria Lombardi took the lead in planning the event along with student leaders. Class of 2013 faculty advisors Lauren Desiderio and Donna Nugent were there to party the night away with the seniors they worked so closely with for the past four years.
This year's prom was packed and the crowd appeared to be in a good mood from the moment it arrived. "The prom was a blast," Daniel Moya said. "It was a great event, well run and very organized. Seeing almost my entire class on the dance floor was quite a sight and the DJ made sure people were into it the whole time. It was a wonderful celebration of our class in preparation for graduation and a memory that I will not soon forget."
The Milleridge Inn's cottage house belonged to Huntington High School and the rooms were adorned with fresh flowers, lit candles and even a fireplace. There was a spacious outdoor patio and a large dance floor that stayed crowded throughout the night.
Very Well Organized
"I thought the prom was very well organized and a lot of fun," Alexa Kaplan said. "The juniors did a really great job organizing everything and making sure the prom was flawless."
Most of the prom-goers attended one of the pre-prom parties, which included several held on or near Huntington Bay. "Prom was a lot of fun," Anna Wertheim said. "It was a great almost last gathering of many of the seniors. Everyone looked beautiful. It was a night I shan't soon forget."
Assistant Principal Brenden Cusack said last week's affair was "one of the best proms" he ever attended. The event ran from 7-11 p.m. It was chaperoned by a team of teachers, administrators and security personnel. Students were on their best behavior.
"Prom was great," Collin Richardson said. "The venue was gorgeous and the food was terrific. It was nice to see my friends socially one last time before we all went our separate ways. It was also nice to see all the school's security guards and deans in suits watching out for us. All in all, it was a great night!"
The evening's party favor was a key chain photo holder with "Prom 2013" and "June 20, 2013" emblazoned on it. "Prom was amazing," Laura Ironman said. "The weather was perfect and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves dancing. I was a bit worried when they said it was at the Milleridge Inn, but it turned out to be a wonderful night, full of dancing, food and smiles."
Seniors Eric Sze and Katelyn Postiglione were crowned prom king and queen, respectively. Juniors Alexander Castillo and Cynthia Gowani were named the prince and princess, respectively.
The air conditioning system at the site of last year's prom malfunctioned, putting somewhat of a damper on that event. But, all systems were "go" at the Milleridge Inn last week. "Prom was great," Alexis Weitzner said. "It was nice having the whole cottage to ourselves. I was also glad that the AC stayed on!"
Principal Carmela Leonardi could be seen smiling throughout the night, sampling the cuisine, checking on the music and dancing and encouraging the juniors and seniors to enjoy one another's company and savor the moment.
"I loved prom this year," Nikki Smoot said. "Not only was the weather incredible, but everyone I was with was having a great time. I really enjoyed myself. It's crazy to think it's all over now. Prom flew by, as did graduation."
Ms. Lombardi thanked the junior class officers and the high school's administration and staff for helping organize the event and attending to all the small behind-the-scenes details. "Danielle Cordello worked so hard with table seating and ticket sales and Donna Cama helped with ordering the party favors and general prom business," Ms. Lombardi said about the two school secretaries.
"I had a lot of Fun"
"I think prom went very well," Alexis Thompson said. "It was significantly better than last year's. I had a lot of fun!"
Security staff members were dressed in suits and mingled easily with the elegantly attired students. "Security made sure everyone was safe and happy," said Ms. Lombardi, who also thanked Dr. Leonardi for her support during planning for the prom and the actual event.
"Prom was absolutely amazing," Melissa Rosenberg said. "From taking thousands of pictures with everyone at pre-prom to dancing the night away, it was all perfect."
The Milleridge Inn's staff went out of its way to attend to all the needs of the Huntington teenagers. "The prom was a blast," Nicole Giambrone. "It was planned amazingly, the music was great and the dance floor was packed. Overall, it was an amazing night that contained a ton of good memories and laughs that I will never forget!"
The Milleridge Inn's history dates to Colonial America. Several of the original rooms of the structure still stand and are used daily by diners. The location seemed to be the ideal setting for Huntington's prom.
"I think the prom went great this year," Christine Powers said. "The weather was perfect; no rain in sight. And best of all the air conditioning worked at the venue we were at. It was a little crowed though. The venue was a little too small to hold all of us, but it was still great and the stuff didn't seem overwhelmed at all. The food was great! I had the chicken parm. It was so good."
Students and staff interacted easily throughout the night, although the faculty members made sure to stay out of the way of the teenagers. "I thought the prom was great this year," Claire Beach said. "The food was very good and there were plenty of different things to eat. The place was beautiful and everyone was dancing. We had a great senior prom!"
"A Beautiful Event"
The junior class advisors and student council officers who did the bulk of the prom's organizing were happy with how the evening went. "It was such a beautiful event and we're so proud of our class officers who worked so hard during the planning process," Ms. Colica said.
"We were so happy to give the seniors a warm and memorable send-off," Victoria Lombardi said. "The weather was spectacular and all of the students made the night really special."
The dance floor just might have been the most popular area all evening long. "The DJ played really upbeat music all night and kept everyone on the dance floor," Katie Flemming said.
Seniors relished every minute of the night, realizing their hours as Huntington students were dwindling to a precious few. "Prom was great," Danielle Schultz said. "I had an amazing time dancing and socializing with my best friends, the music was good, and the air conditioning worked this year! I loved seeing everyone dressed up and it was a great way to end my four years at Huntington High School."
Several years ago, the date of the prom was moved to the night before the commencement exercises. At the time, some students weren't pleased, but no one seemed to take issue with it this year. "It was obvious that everyone really enjoyed themselves and the venue was really beautiful," Nicole Secular said.
There seems to be little doubt that the Milleridge Inn will be considered for future Huntington proms. "The venue was really fantastic and allowed everyone to eat, talk and dance freely," Josh Morris said. "It was a great way for the seniors to spend one last occasion together and they thank the junior class and their advisors for all their hard work!"
On their way home, students could be heard expressing their pleasure with how the prom went. "It was an overall awesome night and a wonderful time," Justin Fleiss said.