WOODBURY — Prom is a favorite high school event for many upperclassmen, and with this year’s homecoming out the window, juniors and seniors can only be hopeful that this year at Nonnewaug will have some sort of prom.

Nonnewaug, along with other nearby schools such as Oxford and Watertown, have paused the plans for this year’s prom until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers, students, and parents are all disappointed but are hoping for the best.

Seniors such as Amanda Taddeo, Victoria Canonico, and Isabella Calvano purchased their prom dresses for last year’s prom, only to end up keeping the dresses in their closets.

“It’s so unfortunate because I had already purchased my dress, and when I went back to return it, they wouldn’t take it back due to the pandemic,” Taddeo said, “so now I’m stuck with this dress that I might not even be able to wear.”

These two aren’t the only students who purchased a dress that has gone to waste. The Instagram account from last year’s prom, @nonnewaugprom2020, shows an abundance of would-have-been prom dresses from graduated seniors and last year’s juniors. Many of these dresses cost between $200 and $500.

A lot of students are now trying to sell their dresses, but senior class advisor Laurenn Bertoglio advises them not to because the school is still unsure if a prom will happen this year. She explained that she understands the importance of the event.

“We know this is an important event for all of you, so it makes us very sad when you don’t get it,” Bertoglio said.

The 2021 prom, which is scheduled for May, has not yet been cancelled. Bertoglio said that there are still hopes to have events such as senior day and prom, and that if prom does get cancelled again, the school will find a way to make it up to the seniors.

Bertoglio remains hopeful.

“I met with the administration recently, and they said there was a chance we could have it,” Bertoglio said. “We would, of course, have to adhere to any guidelines that existed at that time.”