Prom, as well as the weeks leading up to it, has been titled a variety of names:
A stress.
A money-waster.
A pain in the neck.
It doesn’t have to be these things, though. You don’t need to make a crazy amount of appointments for hair, nails, make-up, etc. You don’t need to buy an expensive dress, borrow a friend’s or go to fund-raising events or stores selling cheaper ones.
No one will know how much you spent on it. Buy a dress you can afford and feel beautiful in.
And the stress of getting a date? Really? It’s 2012. You don’t need a significant other. Go with a friend, or on your own. Just go with somebody you’ll have a good time with.
Prom doesn’t need to be stressful, a money-waster, or a pain the neck. You know what is? Junior and senior year. Between these two years, upperclassmen are bombarded with SATs, ACTs, AP and ECE classes, college searching, college applications, and an increased amount of homework.
Furthermore, they’re learning how to drive, taking the role of captain of their sport teams, being involved in a bunch of clubs because colleges “like it.” They're applying for and receiving scholarships and awards. On top of all of this, many of these young adults have a job.
These years are so stressful, and the night of prom is one of the few chances upperclassmen have to relax and enjoy being a high-school student together. It’s a day for girls to have fun getting all prettied-up. It’s a night for everyone to be with their best friends and to take tons of pictures that will serve as memory keep-sakes down the road. It’s a night of food and dancing and laughter.
It serves as a break from the seemingly worst year of high school, junior year, and a final get-together for graduating seniors. It’s a moment where everyone, looking beautiful and handsome, can be together as a class, enjoying the same food, the same music, and the same night.
It’s tradition and, while it may not be the best night of a person’s life, it could quite possibly serve as the best night of the year.
A person can surely make prom a stress, a waste of money, and a pain in the neck, but it doesn’t have to be. To make prom not fun and relaxing, though, must takes a lot of work. Stop with the anti-prom attitude, because you’re going to miss out on an amazing night, and you will surely regret it.
- Lisa Mueller
