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'Perfect Prom' turns out, well, perfect By JONEL ALECCIA The crowd was sparse, the music was loud and nobody danced very much, but to Prospect High School senior Juhlia Glover, Saturday night's concert by rock band Sister Hazel capped a perfect prom after all. "I'm so happy we won this!" said Glover, 18. "I kept entering the contest every day." It was classmate Karin Mueller's entry last winter that captured a "perfect prom" Internet contest sponsored by the U.S. Air Force. The exchange student's mouse click was chosen from among 32,000 entries nationwide. It won a lavish evening for the tiny school east of Medford and brought the big-name band to VIBES Main 1, a local teen nightclub. During a 90-minute show Saturday, the Florida group whose radio hits include "It's a Beautiful Thing," and "Change Your Mind" delivered a high-energy performance before a crowd that only filled about a third of the room. Students and guests - some in prom finery, some in jeans and hats - clapped and whistled appreciatively. In turn, Sister Hazel lead singer Ken Block applauded the school that won the contest sponsored by the U.S. Air Force. "We could have been playing anywhere tonight and we're here with Prospect High School!" he said, to a chorus of cheers. Later, several students linked arms and swayed together to the chorus of "Champagne High." That was the favorite song of Cara Tompkins, 17, a senior in a long white slip dress. "It's pretty good," she said. "This is a lot of fun." Tompkins matched the mood of the night, despite weeks of work and worry about whether the school's most lavish prom ever would come together. Concerns about venues and budgets and delayed decorations were put aside in favor of the music and the Air Force message: "Be Safe, Be Smart, Be Sober." "This is excellent," said Addie Stockebrand, 18, chosen as Prospect prom queen. "It's something we never thought would happen." Not everyone shared her enthusiasm, however. Some students hovered near the back of the room, clearly unimpressed by the band's efforts. "It's OK," said junior Ryan Imahusen with a shrug. "Sister Hazel sucks," said Ryan Largo, a senior. Overall, though, organizers said they were pleased with the success of the contest that began with a few clicks of a mouse in January and ended with an booming encore Saturday night. "We did it!" said Claudia Fowler, junior class advisor. "We made it." Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.