NHS Prom Fashion continues charitable mission
Ava Yungbluth | The Chronicle
Mason’s National Honors Society (NHS) prom fashion show is making a comeback to ensure an amazing prom experience for all upperclassmen.
The reign of prom fashion shows ended abruptly in 2019 after the COVID-19 outbreak but has returned this year to carry on the society’s mission of charitability. NHS Prom Fashion Show Chair, senior Rachel Bair, helped put together the 2022 event and said that one of the most important parts of the event is helping fund underprivileged students so that they can afford to make their prom experiences special, aiding them in purchasing prom dresses, tuxedos and hair and makeup services. Any leftover proceeds from the event will go to a student activities fund that helps Mason students get tickets to games and other events. Bair said that budgetary reasons shouldn’t impede on a student having a special event in their lives.
“I think that it is really important that every student gets a prom night that they will never forget,” Bair said. “If it’s a financial reason that’s going to inhibit someone from having that experience then we should be able to provide for that.”
The 2022 fashion show showcases three different clothing styles and performances from school groups. The first segment features traditional prom dresses from Dillards and tuxedos from Folchi’s modeled by a group of enthusiastic upperclassmen. Then, a special performance of a Bhangra dance by the talent-show winners, Gajdi Jawani followed by the MHS Comet Zone modeling Mason merchandise. The last segment has representatives of various clubs and student activities modeling looks to promote their club in a “met-gala” style runway. The night came to a close with a group of senior boys dancing to the song, “Sharp Dressed Man.”
NHS Prom Fashion show co-chair, Malani Patel, said that it was important that all of Mason High School’s (MHS) clubs and activities are recognized in the show, especially some of the less well-known clubs. With their outfits tying together what their clubs were about, many students have the opportunity to show off their passions. Patel said that it is wonderful to see different parts of the school coming together and showcasing what they are about.
“It’s really nice to see every smaller aspect of the school come together because there’s a lot of smaller clubs that don’t get as much recognition,” Patel said.
Bair is thankful for all of the different people she worked with to make the event possible. From collaborating with sports teams to smaller clubs, Bair found ways to include as many juniors and seniors as she could in the planning process. Bair said that her goal was to ensure that every part of the school had the opportunity to be included.
“It’s really cool that so many different clubs and organizations and so many different students get so excited,” Bair said. “They’re very engaged and involved in something that directly impacts their community.”
The process of setting up the fashion show took a lot of collaborative efforts from every person and group involved in the planning process. At the end of the night, fifteen senior boys closed out the event with their dancing finale to the song, “Sharp Dressed Man.” Bair said that one of the most thrilling processes was putting together this traditional senior boys’ dance.
“We work to get a lot of the models, it’s been a lot of just going back and forth emailing, trying to get stuff set up, but it’s really starting to come together,” Bair said. “We have a really high energy excited group of guys and they’re all thrilled to be in the dance, which is really exciting.”
Patel is passionate about the cause and said that she enjoyed watching the event come together over a short period. Although Patel had to invest a lot of time and hard work into the production of the event, she said that she looked at the event as a form of school spirit that unites the school under a cause for the betterment of the community. Patel said that helping people and getting the school excited for an event are two things that she cares a lot about.
“It builds school spirit while also supporting kids who are financially disadvantaged,” Patel said. “It was something I was passionate about.”
Bair sees the prom fashion show as an opportunity to represent what MHS is about, having a strong community. She said that she believes that while MHS is a large high school, it still maintains a tightly knit community with school-wide events like the prom fashion show.
“Mason has a really great sense of community for a school that’s as big as we are,” Bair said. “Being able to have events like this, where the whole school is able to come [together], is really great to contribute to that sense of community.”
Patel believes that contributing to the Mason community is very important and a priority. She said that a major goal of the show is to give back to the community and those in need.
“We’re not using the money to build up our club,” Patel said. “We want to raise this money so that we can help a group of students. [The Mason NHS Prom Fashion Show] represents Mason’s belief in helping give back to the community.”
Photo by Ava Yungbluth