Prom is the high school equivalent of the Oscars. Everyone goes out of their way to make it the perfect night. Girls buy expensive dresses, boys rent tuxedos and the evening is highly anticipated for months. Prom is a final chance to let loose and celebrate either the end of another school year or the end of high school altogether. Although prom will always fit this definition, it may be slightly different this coming May.

This year, prom will take place the weekend before AP testing begins, leaving students who signed up for these tests in an extremely difficult situation. Instead of being able to enjoy prom to the fullest, these students will be forced to prepare for major upcoming tests the day after being sleep-deprived from dancing all night.

This year, prom takes place May 12. Originally scheduled for May 19, the date was changed in order to suit the needs of graduation. For years, the KHS administration has tried, after various complaints from families, to move the date of graduation away from Memorial Day weekend.

According to principal Dr. Michael Havener, KHS received a “now or never” offer from Chaifetz Arena, where graduation takes place every year. When Chaifetz offered to finally change the date of graduation to a different weekend, the administration jumped at the chance without consulting students. This switched the date from May 26 to May 19, bumping prom back to May 12.

The flaw in this date change is clear. Upperclassmen signed up for AP tests will still experience and enjoy prom, but with a significant consequence. Instead of being an end-of-the-year bash, prom is simply a brief glimpse of freedom before cracking down to do more of what they have done all year: study.

With prom just two days before various AP exams (including Biology, Physics and Music Theory), students preparing for these major tests will feel uptight, experiencing stress days before, even when they are trying to have a good time.

The major problem with this date change is the decision-making process. According to Havener, grade level principals were instructed to consult their class on views regarding the prom date change. However, there was not enough student input involved in this judgment call. Given only 24 hours by Chaifetz Arena to make the decision, three assistant principals said they either did not consult their class or did not remember what they did in the situation. One assistant principal added the decision was non-negotiable and could not have been changed, student input or not.

For future decisions that would affect the student body, the administration should communicate with the students in a more effective way, such as contacting the student leaders of the grade, including Student Council or class officers.

The purpose of these groups, after all, are to help lead the school.

Although the administration obviously makes the final call on all major decisions affecting KHS, student opinions should make a greater impact on their choices.