Cate Class of 2026 Takes On Prom

By Naomi Chen '26

Prom Night for the Cate Class of 2026 took place on Saturday, May 2nd, at the University Club of Santa Barbara, thanks to the generous planning of a parent-led committee and a prom committee composed of senior class students. Despite minor timing complaints, the night was widely considered successful, owing to the orchestration, food, and the energy on the dance floor. 

Most of the planning was done by a small group of parent volunteers, co-chaired by the mothers of Jasper Shelmerdine ’26 and Quincy Throne ’26. Thorne’s mother, who had previously organized the Cate prom five years ago for his sister’s class, oversaw budget, catering, transportation, and photos. Shelmerdine’s mom handled venue booking and food, while her father, an art school graduate, hand-painted all the decorations needed for the photo area and even arranged a car for the shoots. The parents' team also leveraged other Cate connections to maximize the night, including postcards distributed to students ahead of the event, provided by the family of Chase Meyers ’26. They also chose the University Club as the venue because it was cheaper than the rest and because organizers' parents already knew a member there (Other venues of interest, including rooftop bars, could not accommodate the underage group). 

Working in tandem with the parents was the student Prom Committee, selected via a sign-up form and composed of several seniors, including Shelmerdine, Thorne, and Josh Butler ‘26. The student committee met on Zoom to provide parents with input on themes, food choices, communication, music, decorations, and assembly announcements. In the words of Thorne, the committee mainly sought to tailor the event to their peers’ preferences, while avoiding overstepping and keeping planning relatively flexible. 

Thorne enjoyed the Prom’s natural flow from the photos, sunset, bus ride, dinner, to dancing. It looks like the dancing was repeatedly praised as one of the best parts of the night. Thorne himself was dragged to the middle of the floor to dance with a salsa instructor per his mother’s planning. The food drew praise from Shelmerdine, who said it exceeded her expectations, even having a steak meal. Butler, meanwhile, was busy juggling photographing with as many groups as possible, including advisories, classes, and friend groups.  

Butler said that having many faculty members at Prom was both strange and, ultimately, fun, adding that chaperones like Dr. Moore and Ms. Peterson joined the dance floor. He noted that it felt odd to have Ms. Weir take his photos with his date. Butler observed that only a smaller group of the faculty, including Brod, Ms. Peterson, and Jules, stayed for the afterparty. 

The main criticisms centered on timing, with Shelmerdine and Thorne suggesting that the first dance and after-party bus ride were long, leaving attendees a bit uncomfortable in their formal wear. Shelmerdine also said the quality of the music was uneven. Butler observed how people naturally formed small cliques before coming together at the end. However, none of the complaints spoiled the night's mood. As Shelmerdine put it, everything went well - even if her dress was borrowed from a friend last-minute after a wardrobe problem, while Butler decided to set himself apart from the sea of black shoes with his red and blue sneakers.