Prom: the highlight of a high school experience. Prom is a mystical event where boys in tuxedos and girls in elegant dresses go to a lavish location and dance the night away. As a senior, I have gone twice now, both this year and my junior year.
Personally, I thought that this year was an improvement from last year, because more people came and I got to hang out with more friends than I did last year. The decorations were very well done, with artwork done by English teacher Carol Morris and jeweled decorations on each table surrounding the dance floor.
The tradition of prom, or Promenade, a promotional dance from one grade to the next, is primarily an American event that dates back as far as the 1800s. Although it has had predecessors long before the 19th century, held in different styles across the world and is now catching on in countries like the United Kingdom, Paris, Canada and other places across the globe. Originally it was an end of the year dance for seniors, but many schools now hold it for all upperclassmen. Americans are used to seeing a senior girl and boy crowned and dubbed King and Queen, but in other countries such as Australia and New Zealand, which do regularly hold balls similar to prom, coronations rarely occur. In the early days of prom, the event was seen as a celebration similar to a Debutante Ball, or a formal event to represent a teen’s introduction into adulthood and society. Students of a similar age, 16 to 18, go to the newer version of this event, prom, which is notorious for its brightly colored dresses, which deviates from the strictly white attire of Debutantes.
Prom, unlike a Debutante Ball, usually includes a theme. The past two years, at the Bob Bullock Museum, it has had a Las Vegas theme with poker and dancing. I found it enjoyable, even though I lost the one poker game I played. This year, the event was held at The Westin Hotel in the Domain, and had a Gatsby theme. I, personally liked this better because I enjoyed reading The Great Gatsby last year in English. The decorations made me feel as if I was actually at a Gatsby Party and I loved the glitz and glamour of the night.
Senior prom, of course, isn’t the end-all-be-all of life, or even high school events, but it is definitely a memory I will look back on fondly.