On May 3, 2025, Aliso Niguel High School hosted its end-of-the-year Prom, exclusive to Juniors and Seniors. Held in the Orange County Observatory, after many polls conducted by the Associated Student Body, this year’s theme was finalized as La La Land.
In accommodation for the Senior class and also welcoming Juniors to join, ASB arranged a spot for photos to be taken at the San Juan Hills Train Tracks. The spot evidently had a successful turnout, which was expressed and posted on the “anhsclassof2025” Instagram.
The dance ran from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., allowing everyone to leave as early as 9:30 p.m. Many began to line up for entry by 7:00 p.m.
Once allowed entry, students were welcomed into various corridors and rooms; a bar and lounge, gambling room, an outdoor courtyard, and a three-level dancefloor, including a pit at the bottom for students to mosh and dance in! Atop of the dance area was a fourth floor, providing various sweets and snacks to munch on.
In the hallway and entry room, for a limited time, the Observatory’s photobooth was open, being an old booth for students to take advantage of and enjoy for future memorabilia.
Inside the gambling room, there were multiple roulette tables providing spinning wheels, with games in play including Blackjack, Roulette, and Texas Hold ’em, also known as Poker. Students were seated five per table. Many of the professional dealers were handing out poker chips either by winning the game or as a token of appreciation for playing!
In the bar and lounge area, many comfortable seats and stools were provided, as the bartender concocted different mixes of sodas and syrups upon request, making Prom feel more mature than in previous years.
Outside, inside the courtyard area, many tables and couches were placed for attendees to enjoy the fresh air, accompanied by a small snack shack giving out french fries.
Inside the main dance room, on the highest floor, appearing as a balcony, there was a secondary bar, providing the same drinks as the lounge, while also giving out sweet treats such as brownies, cookies, and more. On the dance floor, many students waved around their flashlights, synchronizing different gestures and dance moves.
In the middle of the main room, there was a photobooth, allowing a group of students to take photos together using different cardboard props and glasses. After taking the photos, the printed strip of the photos was captioned, “Prom 2025,” allowing the pictures to become a physical memory.
Likewise, in the corner of the room, there were two digital photo booths, sending the photos through a phone number and turning the photos into GIF format.
Aaron Tran (12) shared, “My favorite part of Prom was probably being in the pit because I could tell everyone was just trying to have fun and make memories for their last dance.”
This year’s Prom was memorable for its unique venue and events held for students, differentiating from previous dances over the years, allowing it to feel more special in comparison to both Homecoming and Winter Formal. Prom is heavily anticipated for all grades to work their way up to, as the most special memories come out of the dance!
