TAMPA, Fla. - In a battle between Covid-19 and high school seniors, Covid seems to be coming out on top.
What You Need To Know
- Operation Takeback Prom organized by Tiana Marshall
- Event scheduled for June 27; no contract signed, however
- School system says it's staying out of issue
- Click here to see their Coronavirus plan (PDF)
Graduation - canceled. Spring sports - canceled.
But prom? Some students say no way.
“Oh, I’m a go getter. And if we can do something, by any means necessary, we’re going to do it,” said high school senior Charlea Bing.
Bing says she’s been waiting for this day all her life, and when she heard there was a chance to take prom back, she hopped on board.
“For me, it’s like, you can’t expect people to help if you don’t want to help,” said Bing.
She’s one of dozens of students joining in on Operation: Takeback Prom 2020, organized by Tiana Marshall, founder of Tiana’s Tea.
“I want to ensure that these students don’t leave 2020 without a memory that will instill some hope that 2020 wasn’t all that bad. That their senior year wasn’t that bad because they have that memory,” said Marshall.
Scheduled for June 27, Marshall says the prom is for Hillsborough County students and would be held at the Downtown Tampa Hilton.
But according to our media partners at the Tampa Bay Times, no contract has been signed with the hotel yet.
They say they will adhere to CDC guidelines, which right now, advise against gatherings of more than 10 people.
This prom could be up to 200 times that.
“Are you confident that this prom is going to happen?” asked Bay News 9 reporter Ashley Paul.
“I am confident that it’s going to happen,” said Marshall.
Students will be required to preregister, and hundreds of tickets have already been sold.
She says all volunteers would wear masks and gloves, hand sanitizer stations will be set up, and students would be required to sign a waiver ahead of the dance.
“I definitely don’t want people to worry about being sick if they go out to have fun at prom, because you wouldn’t be worried about that at actual prom, you would just worry about having the time of your life,” said Bing.
So in a battle between Covid-19 and high school seniors, this time, she says, the seniors will win.
Marshall says if the prom does not work out, she will plan some sort of virtual event to make up for it.
Hillsborough County Public Schools declined to comment on the event, stating, “Since this is not a school district event, we are not offering any guidance or opinions.”
Prom Coronavirus Plan (PDF):