(June 14, 2002) — Once in a lifetime, one chance to dream. It’s the event you’ve been planning since ninth grade, the night where anything is possible: Senior Prom 2002. The perfect place, the perfect dress and the perfect date are all checked off the list as the limousine with you and your friends pulls up to the Biltmore hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Walking into the elaborate Gold Room on May 17, you find it’s a bit difficult to conceive that this is senior prom already. The Gold room looks exactly its part with classy gold and burgundy furniture and a dimly lit atmosphere. In one corner, senior class advisors Cynthia Nash and Stephanie Sajjadieh are checking tickets, and on the opposite side attendees are lined up to take pictures with Dunlap-Turney photographers. The tables surrounding the dance floor each contain an elegant and inviting centerpiece with white roses placed in the middle. As the rest of the guests arrive and gradually gather on the dance floor, the celebration officially begins. Clark seniors and their dates, who were mostly Clark underclassmen and guests from outside school, ate food from the buffet of chicken, steak and salad before hitting the dance floor to celebrate the night of their lives. Dancing stopped momentarily only when the DJ paused the music to announce the crowning of the 2002 Prom Queen, Nicole Fajardo, who said she was not at all expecting to win the crown. Not that she’s complaining. “[Being Prom queen] is an honor,” she explained. “It was more meaningful to me because it got passed down from my sister [Bianca Fajardo].” Many guests said they were amazed at the quality of the planning of the night. “It was organized really well—it was a beautiful place. I had a lot of fun,” said Ani Arutyunyan. The planning for the prom started last May, when the banquet hall was booked, according to Senior Class President John Nahas. Since then, the senior class officers and committee made countless decisions, including finding the perfect centerpiece and parting gifts. “The prom experience is just what you make of it. Mine may not have been some enchanting, magical dream, but it’s something I’ll always remember,” Jung Park recalled. As “Lady in Red,” the last song of the night, blared through the speakers, couples gave each other one last hug and proceeded to their respective after parties. Post-prom plans varied for all the guests attending, but some went to dinner, the beach or just hung out at home. As the sun began to rise and the clock chimed the arrival of the wee hours of the next day, the limo dropped off the last of its passengers and prom night was officially over. The memories are yet to remain in the form of saved invitations, rolls of pictures and preserved corsages and boutonnières.