By DOMINIC CAPPERELLA

    After a two-year hiatus, Senior Ball made a return this year for Bellefonte Area High School seniors. This year’s seniors eagerly awaited the night of the ball, as they had not had any sort of formal dance since their freshman year. 

    This year’s Senior Class decided to hold their event at the Mount Nittany Club, which is located within Beaver Stadium. The class officers sent out a survey to their fellow seniors to get an idea as to where they should host the event.

    “We chose Beaver Stadium because it was different compared to where they have held Senior Ball in the past. It also provided a lot of room as well as beautiful views,” Class of 2022 Treasurer Riley Clute said. 

    This year’s event was the first time ever that Bellefonte seniors utilized a Penn State venue for their ball. The dance was from 5 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, May 14. The night of Senior Ball is one that every student looks forward to throughout their underclassmen years at Bellefonte, and for the seniors since they lost so many dances due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

    The Class of 2022 was ready to start planning as soon as they could. Rile took charge as the head of planning and decorating the venue so the club would look perfect for the big night.

    “The theme selection boiled down to ‘Starry Night.’ Riley ended up leading the drive behind the theme idea. It was with the aid of Amazon that decorations for this event were acquired. One could say the ‘stars aligned’ for this moment,” Class of 2022 President Domenic Nelson said. 

    The seniors believed that the venue would look amazing with their chosen theme and set forth to develop a plan for the space. The executives of the class, President Domenic Nelson, Vice President Rebecca Methven, Treasurer Riley Clute, and Secretary Angelina Aviles, put many hours into planning this event along with the rest of their Class Cabinet. 

    Beyond the theme, the seniors had a lot of work to do, including scheduling a DJ and food vendor for the event. The seniors decided to have Penn State cater the event with Italian food but, as far as the DJ, the class wanted to return to Bellefonte with their decision.

    “The selection of who would be manning down the music of the event came down to Jordan Emely, a Bellefonte graduate himself. With all of this, Riley Clute, had a colossal hand in orchestrating this event, and I know the planning process would not be the same without her,” Domenic said.

    The sun was shining on the day of the dance. People made their way to the stadium and had fun with cornhole outside of the club, although there was still food, music, and fun inside the club.

    “I would like to emphasize that this Senior Ball materialized into a star-studded evening. This is especially plausible with the stand-out individual of Lee Przybys making the dance floor his for the taking, when you are that adept at what you do, the Disco Gods naturally select you to hype up the evening,” Domenic said. 

    The seniors were excited about the big night, but none of it would have been possible without the executives, advisors, cabinet members, or the administration of the school. 

    “The Class of 2022 has put a lot of time and effort into fundraising for this event. We could not have done without our advisors Mrs. Gasper and Mr. Wilson. I would also like to thank the parent group for helping us collect donated decorations,” Riley said.