After months of planning, endless ticket sales, and weeks of anticipation, prom season has finally come and gone, leaving many students with unforgettable memories, honest opinions, and much more. While some had the time of their lives, others’ expectations weren’t quite met. Now that the dance and its festivities have ended, some Chamblee High School students shared various thoughts reflecting on their prom experience.
When students first walked into Prom, some reported that the atmosphere set the tone for the rest of the night.
“The dance felt like a house party since everyone was so close. However, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing,” said Esther Solaru (‘26).
Chamblee High School’s 2026 prom took place at an event venue in the heart of Buckhead: 103 West. Students offered different opinions on the 2026 location, compared to previous venues, such as the College Football Hall of Fame and the High Museum.
“I would say last year’s prom [at the High Museum] was better, mainly because there was more space at the venue. It felt more open than this year’s venue,” said Luke Ricker (‘26)
Aubrey Stephenson (‘27) also noted how crowded the venue felt.
“The venue felt small, but I was more or less okay with it. I think that the smaller the venue, the fewer people feel watched. It seemed like more people were dancing because of this reason,” said Stephenson.
One student described a mix of first impressions and improvement as the night went on.
“When we first got to the dance, it was kind of empty and boring. The dance floor became a lot more enjoyable once more people arrived. I really enjoyed dancing,” said Savannah Ross (‘27).
As the energy rose, some students described the hot, humid conditions on the dance floor.
“It was fun, but really hot. We were sweating while dancing, which was gross, but still fun,” said Sadie Strohl (‘27).
Although crowded and hot, some students expressed their enjoyment with other details.
“I really enjoyed the food and desserts. A lot of people were talking about the cake pops,” said Frankie Urbano (‘27).
Lauren Madison (‘27) echoed this excitement over the cake pops.
“I love cake pops. At Prom, I think I had three. There were so many good flavors like chocolate, vanilla, and Oreo,” said Madison.
In regards to the music, some students mentioned that the professional DJ heightened their experience at this year’s Prom compared to previous dances.
“I liked the music at Prom, and it was much better than Homecoming’s music. Since [Prom] had a professional DJ, it was louder. It was really quiet at Homecoming, so the music at Prom seemed much better,” said Ross.
On that note, students expressed Chamblee’s Prom to be more favorable than of Homecoming.
“Prom was definitely better than Homecoming for me. I’m closer with the juniors and seniors as opposed to the sophomores and freshmen,” said Stephenson. “In that sense, I felt like wherever I went, I knew someone. It felt more personable.”
Although not perfect, the night was notable for many students in various ways, especially in welcoming students in the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) program. An Atlanta organization, the Jewish Family & Career Services, sponsors the IDD program, which promotes community integration through a variety of activities and outings.
“One of my favorite moments of the night was dancing with Betsy, who is one of the kids with the IDD group at Chamblee,” said Urbano. “She’s never been to Prom, and we were able to dance with her. It was a really good time.”
Sean Ziegler (‘26) encountered an unexpected highlight of the night when running into his math teacher, Dr. Andrew Milne.
“I really enjoyed seeing all my teachers, especially Dr. Milne, who was there with his date. It was cool to see him dressed up outside of school,” said Ziegler.
For Chamblee’s Class of 2026, this was their final high school dance, and some students said it was memorable for that reason alone.
“The night was definitely nostalgic,” said Solaru. “I had fun going to the picture party and seeing everyone look nice. Personally, I had a lot of fun and will definitely miss it.”
