When the administration announced during sixth period Prom was changed to May 4, junior Ayan Ali was overjoyed.

“I’m more than excited. I have been wanting this since January, I believe, now, we’ve solved it,” Ali said. “I ran out of class, almost having an asthma attack because of how happy and surprised I was. We have changed a whole event because of my voice. I am so proud.”

Principal Scott Meyers, Student Council President, senior Alexis Machoka and Thespian president, senior Nietzsche Deuel made the announcement that Prom will be moved to 9 p.m.-midnight May 4 at the Swedish Institute. The spring play will be at 7 p.m. May 2-3 and 2 p.m. May 4 in the Auditorium.

According to Meyers in a phone call to parents April 10, Prom was originally scheduled for May 11 and the spring play’s Saturday show for the evening of May 4. Moving Prom back to accommodate for Ramadan would put the dance in conflict with the theater performance.

According to Deuel, she decided to take action after she read false statements spread over social media that the spring play was the reason Prom couldn’t be moved. She said she met with Meyers, assistant principal Jessica Busse, Student Council adviser Sarah Lindenberg and Machoka.

“We decided to move the spring play, which did really help in moving Prom,” Deuel said. “It’s so much more important that we do the right thing rather than the easy thing.”

According to Meyers, the administration decided to announce its final decision to quell rumors about the conflict of Prom and Ramadan.

“We just realized people were having conversations individually that included a lot of assumption and uncertainty. We wanted to make sure that once we made our final decision we had the information out there,” Meyers said. “We actually started long before numerous students emailed me and people were asking in the hallways. We had already had a conversation right when we got back from break and one previous to break.”

In the April 10 announcement, Meyers, Machoka and Deuel addressed the student body regarding the recent conflict surrounding Prom.

“We recognize our system for planning and organizing events has caused feelings of exclusion for our students, and for that, we are truly sorry,” Machoka said in the announcement. “Planning for school events is not a solitary function. It requires a whole school and community to help plan inclusively and effectively. We appreciate you speaking honestly truthfully and openly about how you feel.”

Senior Aisha Abdi said adjusting Prom to May 4 allows the dance to be inclusive of Park’s entire population, allowing Muslim students who observe Ramadan to be able to attend.

“When I heard that (Prom) is going to be on May 4, I was excited,” Abdi said. “I was actually happy because the school body is actually going to be together and not separated and excluded.”

More updates will follow as Echo continues to investigate the Prom and Ramadan conflict.