Homecomings. Semi-formals. Junior and senior proms. These were just some of the milestones many high school students were denied when COVID-19 came crashing down on their worlds. To make up for some of what incoming students missed over the past 18 months, Felician University held a “Prom 2.0”, Thursday September 16 under a tent on the Rutherford campus and about 130 students were more than happy to attend.

The idea for Prom 2.0 originated with several students on the Student Orientation committee whose job is to help welcome incoming students to Felician. “We thought the outdoor prom would be the best, so we came up with something to bring us all together, socially distanced, outdoors, and safe,” said Committee member Arianna Kaminski, who was thrilled when she saw it had been approved and put on the school calendar.

Prom 2.0 was part of Felician University’s Weeks of Welcome, five weeks of programming planned through September 26 including popular student bingo events, mini golf, AMC movie nights, flag football, trips to the Willowbrook Mall, and Teterboro Landing, all designed to get students excited about being at Felician University. Uma Mahalingham, Director of Felician’s Center for Student Development and Engagement, said Felician University was excited to give students the chance to experience Prom 2.0. “Due to safety protocols only Felician Freshman and Sophomores were allowed to attend the event. We were very excited to have the community together under the tent, and it was really nice to see everyone dressed up and excited to be at Felician,” noted Ms. Mahalingham.

The vendor, Any Excuse for a Party, helped create some of the night’s magic with what they call the Glow Zone – furniture wrapped in fabric and illuminated from within. There was also a DJ playing great music, plenty of good food throughout the night, and even a red carpet leading up to the tent.

Prom 2.0 was a big deal for Sophomore Kristin Bonbel who missed her prom and was thrilled to have the chance for a prom 2.0 at Felician University. “It gave me a moment where I got to feel pretty and that is something I was looking forward to my senior year. I watched my sister have her prom and it really crushed me not to have mine, so when they did this, I knew I had to go,” remarked Ms. Bonbel, who dressed up for Felician’s Prom in a gown of deep navy blue.

The devastating loses of the COVID-19 pandemic weren’t lost on Felician students who were more than aware of their good luck in being healthy and alive so they could even attend Prom 2.0 in the first place. Freshman Axel Chavez put it well when he said, “We all should be grateful especially for having a second chance to have a prom. Not all of us might know each other, but we all met some new people at prom 2.0.