Vinton County High School crowns prom royalty at Gatsby Golden Gala

Vinton County High School’s junior class turned Saturday night’s prom into a Gatsby-era celebration, then capped the evening by crowning Josiah Smith and Alexsiona Hamilton as prom king and queen at Gatsby’s Golden Gala.

Blake Carpenter and Evie Larimer were named prince and princess as students gathered for the school’s annual prom, which the Vinton County Local School District listed from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on April 25. The formal setting gave the night the polished, vintage feel promised by the theme, while the crowning of the royalty provided the most visible milestone of the evening for families watching students mark one of the school year’s biggest traditions.

The event was presented by the VCHS junior class, with advisors Caitlyn Carper and Chelsea Clutters directing the celebration. That detail matters in a school like Vinton County High, where prom is more than a dance. It is a student-led production that gives juniors a chance to plan, organize and carry out a major community occasion for seniors, underclassmen and the adults who follow the school closely.

For Vinton County families, prom also serves as a public snapshot of student life at the high school. The royal court gives names and faces to a night that reflects school spirit, class identity and the relationships that build over years in the district. The Gatsby theme, with its golden, formal tone, fit a style of celebration that made the night feel distinctive enough to linger in memory long after the music ended.

VCHS prom has increasingly functioned as a broader community event as well. In past years, the school has included public walk-in elements and other visible prom-night activities, and one later prom celebration even ended with an after-party at Central Elementary School. This year’s Golden Gala fit that pattern of extending school tradition beyond a single room, turning prom into one of the county’s late-spring markers of student achievement, class leadership and shared school pride.