Students previously assumed that Ball, a popular end-of-high school tradition for MIramonte seniors, would be canceled due to the pandemic, but Leadership now hopes to hold the event on May 15. Through email, the Class of 2021 Parent Advisors Board notified parents of seniors about Leadership’s plans to hold a Senior Ball at the end of this school year, despite uncertainty brought on by COVID-19. 

“I was almost certain that Senior Ball wouldn’t happen and I’m surprised that Leadership and the district are making it possible. Originally, it was quite unfortunate that one of the best high school experiences was gone, but with COVID-19 and college, I ended up focusing less on the dances like Prom and Ball,” senior Shyon Afshar said.

According to the email, Leadership sent a survey to the senior class during the week of March 1 to “gather input on several event criteria, including dress code,” the email states. The seniors overwhelmingly voted to make Ball a formal event. 

Senior Ball will take place outdoors on the Miramonte football field, and seniors will have to follow health guidelines in order to safely attend. Similar to hybrid school, masks will be required at all times and social distancing will be enforced. Prior to the pandemic, Leadership planned to hold Ball at the California Academy of Sciences. For safety reasons, only Miramonte seniors will attend Ball, whereas in the past, students had the opportunity to bring dates from other grades or even schools.

“As of right now, I’m not sure if I’m going to Senior Ball and I think my decision will change depending on if pandemic conditions improve. If I do go, I would definitely be looking forward to seeing my friends again since I haven’t seen them in a long time. Before Leadership announced that they were going to be holding a Senior Ball, I was a little bummed since Ball is one of the largest events that all seniors look forward to. However, at the same time, if it were canceled, I would completely understand since safety is first,” senior Justice Shin said.

The ticket price for Ball this year is $100, but scholarships will also be offered to some students to cover some or all of the cost. 

“Everybody is very excited to have Senior Ball. We have really tried our very best to make it happen. Of course we all want to have it at a really lovely location with no masks and such, but we are doing the best we can with what COVID-19 guidelines allow us to do,” Leadership advisor Jeremy Foltz said. 

According to a poll conducted on the Miramonte newspaper Instagram of 58 Miramonte seniors, 49 responded that they plan to attend Senior Ball while only 9 said they would not. 

“I will be going to Ball. I am super excited to finally have a normal senior event, even though it will look different than in past years. I’m hopeful everyone will still have fun and get all dressed up,” senior Lindsey Bliss said.