Olivia Carofano, Features Editor
On Friday March 28, the Class of 2025 takes the stage for the 5th annual Ram Jam, a music fashion show that is hosted to fundraise money for the Senior Post-Prom. This event, hosted in the high school auditorium, is a fundraiser that supports the senior post-prom party at Waveny that includes raffles and many prizes. With a combination of skits, live performances, and a fashion showcase, Ram Jam is a highlight event for high school students and seniors.
In 2019 NCHS alumna and parent Jen Richardson shared her experience at a school assembly where students would model their prom attire while being introduced on stage with comedy skits, lip sync battles and dances all performed by the seniors. Jaime Smith, Ram Jam coordinator, said “With Jen’s idea, we figured out how to merge the skits and the fashion show along with a live band, and from there it became Ram Jam.”
Ram Jam plays a significant role in funding the senior post-prom and there is a lot of preparation and money that needs to be raised in order to have a great party for the seniors. “All of the fees that the students pay and then all of the ticket sales from the community contribute to the funding for the post prom. Then we also have a raffle that a lot of students and parents participate in,” Ms. Smith said.
This fashion event involves a significant amount of high school seniors who either want to perform a skit or dance individually or with a group. Senior Lyla Koch said “I am doing a skit with two of my friends and it has been a really fun process creating. We all have busy schedules so it has been tricky trying to get together but I think overall, it has worked out well and we are excited to perform.”
For all the dresses, Ms. Smith and Emily Cannon work with nonprofit organizations like Open Doors to donate the dresses to after the fundraiser, wear their previous prom dress from junior prom or they find their own dresses either borrowed from friends or family. “For the girls, this year we’ve collected dresses from community donations, girls have worn their own dresses and in past years Winged Monkey has even given us dresses for the girls to wear,” Jaime said. “If they do not like the dresses from these organizations and stores, we allow and encourage them to find their own dress whether it be from the year before or borrowed from a friend.”
In terms of the boys’ attire, the high school and post prom committee partner with stores to provide tuxedos. “The tuxes are donated by Camillo’s in Norwalk and they’ve helped us out with tuxedos since 2019. All the boys who participate in Ram Jam go into the store and get fitted for a tux,” Ms. Smith said.
Ram Jam is managed by the post-prom committee, which begins planning nearly a year in advance and they start to work out what envision the event to look like for the seniors. In addition to this, volunteers handle multiple responsibilities like ticket sales, event coordination, and advertising the event. “The post prom committee starts meeting in September and we start planning the post prom party at Waveny,” Ms. Smith said. “We talk about the theme, decorations, and the games that will be offered and Ram Jam is just a piece of that party that the seniors look forward to. With the help of volunteers, we have been able to have a great post prom party that raises money and meets our visions that we set in September.”
Ram Jam fosters a strong sense of community among seniors. It serves as one of their last major events before graduation, bringing them together. Whether performing in skits, modeling prom attire, or supporting friends from the audience, seniors look forward to this experience as they prepare to close out their high school journey. “I am very excited to perform my skit, model and watch all of my classmates. I think its a great way to connect with the community and my friends,” Lyla said.
