Get your fur on the dance floor! All the “fursonas” will be on display at Northwood’s prom.
(April 1, 2022) Members of the Prom Planning Committee today announced the theme of the 2022 Northwood Prom. Director of Student Activities, Ms. Carrie Donatello, was joined by student planning committee members on stage at school meeting for the big reveal, which was received with universal acclaim from the students assembled.
The theme of this year’s prom is “It’s a Furry World!” Students will be encouraged to dress as their favorite furry animal.
The choice of prom theme reflects the global furry fandom phenomenon. According to Wikipedia, “Furry Fandom is a subculture interested in anthropomorphic animal characters with human personalities and characteristics.” Examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, speaking, walking on two legs, and wearing clothes. Many students already have a well-established fursona, while others will create one for the event.
“I hope couples choose to go as the same species. I think it will be so much fun to see pairs of chipmunks and gerbils dancing their tails off at prom,” said committee member Jazlyn Lluberes ’23 (fursona: rabbit).
Bryan Jones ’22 (fursona: cat) is also on the prom committee, and he said the competition for themes was intense. “There were so many clever ideas,” Jones said. “My personal favorite was ‘Under the Sea,’ but there was a lot of enthusiasm for “2020, too” and “Mask-erade,” added Jones.
The dinner will be catered by local restaurant Dancing Bears and beloved pet shop Man and Beast. “There will be a DJ, photo booth, and yard games like Spike Ball and Corn Hole. A trailer with restrooms, including a litter box, will be brought in for the event,” said Abigail Sinclair ’23 (fursona: fox) a prom committee member.
While many students already have their own costumes, some will need to buy or rent their furry suit, and that could get costly. Senior Angie Gonzales (fursona: wolf) isn’t happy about buying her costume. “I don’t know how I feel about this theme,” said Gonzales. “I’ve outgrown my wolf costume and now I need to spend a ton of money on a new furry costume right before I go to college. I don’t need this expense.”
Pendragon Theatre in Saranac Lake, the longtime home of ADKFurries, has a limited supply of costumes for rent.
It’s widely believed that Mr. and Mrs. Donatello will wear the two Northwood Husky mascot costumes as they chaperone the prom, but the Donatellos couldn’t be reached for comment before deadline. Their son Drew Donatello ’24 (fursona: puppy) was not enthusiastic about the idea. “Eww. Gross,” he said.
When asked about the wisdom of wearing bulky and hot costumes to a dinner dance at a time known to be warm, Ms. Riffle (fursona: muskrat), also a member of the prom committee, said, “I guess we’ll rent some fans.” When pressed about what attendees will do during dinner, Riffle said, “We’ll take our heads off. Wait, furries can do that, right?”
It’s a Furry World! The 2022 Northwood School Prom will take place under a giant tent on MacKenzie Field at Northwood School on Thursday, May 19. See Ms. Donatello for tickets.
This article was originally published on April 1, 2022, also known as April Fool’s Day.
