WORCESTER — St. Paul Diocesan Junior-Senior High School knew it had to get creative if they wanted to host prom in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Luckily, Worcester’s new Polar Park allowed them to rise to the occasion.

With about 200 students in attendance, the junior and senior prom was the ballpark’s first event after its May 12 opening day.

“As the state of Massachusetts started to open up a bit more and guidelines were starting to change… we asked if they’d let us do so, we’d love to go,” Assistant Principal Tim St. John said. “They were surprised we had such a high turnout as we did. We were really pleased.”

This was also the school’s first prom since the school’s merger.

“Polar Park is new. We’re new,” St. John said. “We kind of bonded over our newness.”

The juniors had their prom between the home plate and first-base concourse. The seniors partied in the other half, including what Polar Park calls the “Hanover Deck.”

“We were very happy with the layout and the uniqueness,” St. John said. 

Students assisted with the planning of the prom, and St. John said that some even toured the park with the administration beforehand.

“Planning the prom helped us all get more excited for the evening,” Senior Cara Amorati said. “The turnout was great, the decorations were beautiful, and we had fun.”

The junior class officers also lent a hand.

“With the help of students and staff at St. Paul, as well as staff at Polar Park, we were able to create a memorable night for all,” Junior Emma Grieb said. “In the beginning of the school year, I did not think a junior prom was possible, let alone St. Paul being the first event at Polar Park. I will forever be grateful for the time and effort that administration put in to make this night so memorable.”

The students had been in a hybrid setting all year, then the school opened up for full in-person instruction for the final quarter of the year.

“I think the junior class had a blast,” said Wendy Yakstis, the school’s admissions coordinator. “It was the one event that brought the group together.”

Students like Junior Kylie Barbour were happy for the chance to have a “normal” experience this school year.

“I was more than grateful to be able to dress up and dance with all of my classmates, and as a class it was an experience where everyone was able to come together,” Barbour said. “Overall, prom was a success and it was so special to have an event where us students could come together and have fun with each other for the first time.”

For the seniors, this feeling was even more acute.

“As a senior in high school, it was everything the student body could have ever asked for and even more,” Kaileigh Grieb said. “The sense of normal has been lost throughout this pandemic and the fact that we had even just one night to call ‘normal’ was an amazing experience.”

When a lightning storm made an appearance that night, the students did what they’ve done these past 15 months: adapt.

“We got every single couple [under shelter] before it started to rain,” English Teacher David Vilandre said. “They enjoyed a lightning show in left field.”

And the party continued. Students continued to follow the same mask mandates they had throughout the school year, and the outdoor ballpark allowed them to enjoy snacks throughout the night. The ballpark-themed food included hot dogs, chicken fingers and mozzarella sticks.  While there wasn’t a traditional dance floor, a DJ played music for both groups throughout the night. 

“All year the class of 2021 has patiently waited for the much anticipated announcement of prom and once we got word that Polar Park would allow us to have prom with them, we were ecstatic,” Grieb said. “Polar Park lifted the bar so high for what it meant to have a prom.”