Prom: Take My Breath Away
By Hope Deutscher
May 16, 1997

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Better late than never. That's how some high school students in East Grand Forks are looking at their prom - which was postponed due to spring flooding but now will be held this weekend.

Minnesota Public Radio's Hope Deutscher stopped into the East Grand Forks High School as students prepared the school for the annual dance.

Not far from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's temporary center in the East Grand Forks High School, students are busily decorating the school's gym, cafeteria and auditorium. Organizers are expecting more than 100 couples to show up for prom, and hundreds of parents and friends to watch the grand march.

Music blares from the auditorium stage as several junior high school students use a white wooden bridge, blue streamers and foil paper to turn the bare black stage into a romantic spot next to a babbling brook.

Prom Coordinator Ardis Maney hopes the scene will create a little prom magic.

THE COUPLES WILL COME THROUGH THE GRAND MARCH - THE GIRL FROM ONE SIDE, THE GUY FROM THE OTHER SIDE AND THEY WILL MEET IN THE MIDDLE AND HE WILL GIVE HER A SILK FLOWER AND THEY WILL MARCH OFF TOGETHER.

The prom coordinators say they are hoping the teenagers will forget about the outside world for one night.

Prom Coordinator Marianne Sundin says normal life in East Grand Forks stopped on April 17th when the Red River flood waters swept through town.

However Sundin says it shouldn't be a surprise that the dance would go on.

SR. HIGH HAS HAD A TRADITION OF ALWAYS HAVING THE PROM GO ON. WE HAD THE FLOOD IN 79 - THE PROM WENT ON IN 79. IN 1986 WE HAD A MEASLES EPIDEMIC THAT SHUT US DOWN FOR A WEEK AND THE PROM WENT ON. WHEN YOU ASK THE KIDS WHAT THEIR BEST HIGH SCHOOLS MEMORIES, THE PROM USUALLY COMES UP.

Sundin and Ardis Maney say the two days of decorating the school has helped reunite students.

One of the most pressing questions for these teenagers is what to wear to the prom. School officials have said that because of the circumstances - attire can be anything but jeans.

One student's tuxedo was burned in the downtown fire of Grand Forks during the flood, many more tuxes and formal dresses were damaged in flooded homes.

Junior Monique Sandahl is on the prom committee. She was helping throw sandbags on the city dike when it gave way. She dashed home to save what she could.

THE ONLY THING I GOT TO GRAB WAS MY DRESS - THEN THE HOUSE WENT UNDER COMPLETELY SO THAT'S ALL WE GOT TO SAVE OUT OF THE WHOLE HOUSE WAS MY DRESS. WHY DID YOU GRAB THE DRESS? BECAUSE I FELT THAT IF THERE WAS STILL GOING TO BE A PROM - I WAS GOING! CAUSE EVERYTHING WAS SO BAD I FIGURED MAYBE WE COULD MAKE IT BETTER BY HAVING THE PROM.

Sandahl later returned to the house to find her garter floating in the kitchen, sealed in a plastic bag.

Sandahl's story is not unique. Other girls in the group fess up to making a beeline for their prom dress as they evacuated their homes.

Seniors Ben Helleckson and Bob Smette say they will attend the prom wearing tuxes. But Helleckson says that's NOT the case with all of his friends.

EVEN FOR THE PLACES THAT ARE OPEN WITH TUXEDOS THERE HAVE BEEN CANCELLATIONS, PEOPLE JUST DON'T WANT TO BOTHER DRESSING UP BUT I THINK IT WOULD STILL BE NICE IF A LOT OF PEOPLE DID BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT PROM IS FOR - IS TO DRESS UP AND HAVE FUN.

(Begin music of "Take My Breathe Away.")

The theme for this year's prom - Take My Breathe Away - was chosen by the students months ago, but most students agree it's an appropriate theme considering the flooding.

THE FLOOD WAS LIKE A KNOCK OUT PUNCH THAT REALLY DID TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY AND COMING BACK AND SEEING ALL THE DISASTER TRULY DID HAVE AN EFFECT AND IT'S A PRETTY PROPER NAME FOR THIS PROM.

THIS WHOLE FLOOD DID TAKE EVERYBODY'S BREATH AWAY BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T EXPECT IT TO BE AS BAD AS IT WAS.

MAYBE THE FACT THAT WE'RE DOING SOMETHING THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE JUST A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. AND MAYBE THAT IS SORT OF BREATH TAKING IN A WAY. SORT OF A MIRACULOUS ACHIEVEMENT TO BRING THESE KIDS TOGETHER WHEN THEY'VE BEEN SCATTERED ALL OVER NORTH DAKOTA AND MINNESOTA.

Not everyone is entirely happy with the prom. Some students feel it's too soon to ask chaperones to take time away from cleaning their own homes. Some say the prom should have been held later this summer.

And the prom night tradition of eating out will be slightly different this year. Most restaurants in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks are still closed - however, two popular prom eateries - the River Bend Supper Club and the Bronze Boot Restaurant - are open for business.

The majority of students agree that despite the disaster and regardless of the attire - they will try to make this one of the most elegant nights in their life.

In Moorhead, I'm Hope Deutscher, Minnesota Public Radio.

Go to Flood of 1997.