In movies ranging from Sixteen Candles in 1984 to The Kissing Booth in 2018, prom is central to the teen drama and comedy genres. These movies make prom look like the best high school experience there is. In reality, is prom worth it?
We have the opportunity to have two proms this year. Since last year's junior prom got canceled because of COVID, they decided to have it at the beginning of November. The parents had to organize everything. This year's junior class is already getting things organized for their prom in April.
Lilly Post said that her favorite part about the prom experience is “Going out to eat and dressing fancy.” It’s always fun to get all dressed up and go out to eat with all your friends. It is also interesting to see all the people react to all these high school teenagers walking into a fancy restaurant in giant dresses and crowns. A big part about dressing up is to get pictures with everyone. It’s something that you look forward to on prom night. Everyone works time for pictures into their routine on that day. Prom is referred to as a night to remember. Kylie said, “In many years, you're going to look back and remember all the memories you had that night.” I can remember almost every detail from my first and my most recent prom. I definitely think that I will never forget my high school experience of going to prom.
Although prom can have many positives, there can also be some negatives. Jake Stoney said, “There is normally a lot of drama at prom.” Drama is definitely a factor in your prom experience. One bad comment about your hair or about your dress can ruin your whole night. Prom can turn into a popularity contest pretty fast. Everyone goes off into their own friend groups and this is where people can get left out. Prom court and voting for King and Queen is where the popularity contest comes in. This can sometimes cause problems between people on court.
Kylie Reuter said, “Post prom is definitely the best part about prom night. You get a chance to chat with everyone about their night.” Post prom is after the actual dance and it is another excuse to not end the night. Post prom normally lasts until around 2 a.m. There are always a lot of fun games and activities that everyone has a chance to participate in. The activities can range from a hypnotist to sumo wrestling. There's also food and door prizes. In earlier years we would have post prom in the gym back at the high school, but because of COVID, we had post prom at Holiday Gardens, which is the same place as prom. Post prom is organized and supervised by the parents of the junior class.
Your experience at prom definitely can differ depending on who you go with and how you spend your time at prom. Lily said, “In my opinion, prom isn’t worth it. I just think prom is overrated.” It may seem overrated because prom isn’t exactly the same as it is in the movies. I personally think that prom is something that every high school student should experience. I always have a fun time dancing and listening to music with my friends. It is also really fun getting all the pictures that you can look back at when you are older. Prom is a great way to make memories in high school.