The junior class of 2017 celebrated their prom under the theme of Cherished Memories at the King Kamehameha Clubhouse, commonly known as the Marilyn Monroe house, on Saturday, April 30.

The prom was coordinated by the junior class prom chairs Kayla Nitta and Nevan Watanabe, many prom committee members and their adviser Kumu Henohea Kane.

The decorations were a highlight. A lot of preparation went into making the event special, and the committee spent countless hours working on the decorations, both in school and at home.

“I think, for the most part, what you [saw at prom], you actually didn’t see it being done on campus,” Kumu Heno said. “I know a lot of previous years have done all of the decorating preparations on campus, but this particular class took it to heart and took it home and spent weekends cutting down trees, cutting logs, and hiking for things.”

Girls arrived in gorgeous princess dresses and stunning, flowing gowns on the arms of their handsomely dressed dates, color-coordinated of course, in tuxedos.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” Gabrielle Alo said. “I thought it was going to be a really fun night. Everyone was just going to de-stress from school right now, and we were going to have really good food and have fun dancing.”

According to Alo, it took her a while to decide on her prom dress. She tried on several different dresses from different stores and even went to King Kekaulike’s dress drive looking for the perfect dress. In the end, Alo borrowed a dress from classmate Michelle Nakashima.

“[I started getting ready for prom] around 1:00 to about 4:00,” Alo said. “I was having hair malfunctions, so it took a bit longer.”

When everyone was settled and at their tables, announcers Emily Kane, Shaylee Yamashita, and Kupono Aguirre welcomed the guests. Then, everyone silently bowed their heads as Kaena Wojcieski said grace, and students were called by tables to the buffet line.

After dinner, the committee played a short video recapping all the years the class of 2017 spent together, and the prom king and queen were announced. Aguirre was chosen as the king and Kortney Russell was elected queen.

Apart from dinner, the committee had also prepared a dessert table filled with chocolates, hard candies, and chocolate-covered snacks, along with a separate table spread with delicious pies.

Students could also pay to take formal prom pictures with their dates and friends, or take fun pictures in a make-shift photo booth for free.

“My expectations, really, was that no matter what it looked like, that the students were happy, especially those who spent so many hours putting it together,” Kumu Heno said. “[What I enjoyed the most was] seeing 2017 smile. I love this class so much, and they mean so much to me. Just to see them happy makes me happy.”

Gallery • 8 Photos

Photo by Alyssa Urayanza

These gorgeous centerpieces, made by the prom committee, decorate each table and add to the lovely atmosphere of "Cherished Moments."