Planning food for banquet is 'favorite part'

Ezell-Harding committee chooses details for junior/senior event By SUZANNE NORMAND BLACKWOOD • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • April 23, 2008 ANTIOCH — From deciding on the entertainment to the food to what the theme will be, planning for a junior/senior prom or banquet involves decisions, decisions, decisions. "We started out the year (with) a 'bajillion' magazines," said Ezell-Harding Christian School student Kenzie Blanks, who is the junior vice president and served on this year's planning committee for the school's junior/senior banquet. "We had to agree on a theme," she said, adding "Black Tie Affair" was the final choice. "We had to choose invitations and place cards," said Kristen Hensley, committee member and secretary of the junior class. "We actually went and tasted the food. There was a full menu, and you got to pick," added Jenna Fox, junior class president. "That was our favorite part." The school's banquet will be April 25 in the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel. Budgeting is a big concern In conjunction with the banquet, the juniors put together a CD for the seniors. "It's a slide show of pictures from their senior year," said Chelsea Shrum, junior class treasurer. "You always want to make it the best possible for our juniors and our seniors, because it's their last year," said Jenna. "The best we can with the budget we have," said Kristen. "Oh yes, that's the big thing, the budget," added Jenna. The students have had to find creative ways to pay for the banquet, which this year ran about $8,000. "We do cookie sales every Wednesday," said Kenzie. "We have 'cookie moms,' and they bake a 'bajillion' cookies. "Now, we're selling T-shirts for our powder puff football game." Supervision can be issue After the banquet, many students will gather at the home of one of the school's seniors, whose parents are hosting a post-banquet party. Other parents are helping to pay for the party. The post-banquet party is not a school-sponsored event. Although the post-banquet party for Ezell-Harding will have parental supervision, a common concern each year during prom or banquet is the lack of supervision of high school students. However, said Kathy Douglas, whose daughter Philista Berry is a senior at Antioch High School, the assumption that prom is a time when "girls go wild" is an exaggeration. "I think a lot of it is a myth," she said. Douglas said she trusts her daughter "to stay out of trouble," and hopes she has "fun — good, clean fun" at her prom. The junior/senior banquet is a time when "you get to see everyone at their best," said Kenzie. "You get to dress up. It's one day out of the school year you get to feel special," said Jenna. But Chelsea said it is "the memories" that make the junior/senior banquet a really special occasion.