I have been dreaming of prom night since eighth grade, imagining the dress I’m going to wear and the way I’m going to style my hair. However, as my senior year came around I realized prom really wasn’t the fairytale that I thought it would be.
With prom just around the corner, I’ve had to set up appointments, figure out styling, pick out a dress as well as save up enough money for tickets, which are $100. Now don’t get me wrong, I knew it would be a lot, but the amount of stress is overwhelming especially with the cost of my dress that was already a big chunk out of my paycheck. If you want a good quality dress they can be expensive, but I think $600 for a dress you’ll wear for one night is a little excessive.
In order to enter the prom, you will need to get a ticket and for some they will have to purchase two. The high costs prompted me to think how difficult it is for a high school student to be able to spend $100 on a ticket while also buying their dress or tux, hair, nails and for some, a tan. While some students get help from parents, others like myself pull the money out of my own pocket. How can a high school student who attends school seven hours a day, participates in after-school activities and completes loads of homework be expected to spend over $350 for one night?
Of course many can argue you don’t need to get your hair or nails done, but this is a moment many people have dreamed of and want to remember. Lots of pictures will be taken and no one wants to look back thinking negatively about their appearance. The prices of these services cannot really be changed, but the prices of our tickets definitely can. Booking a venue big enough for a crowd of seniors and juniors is expensive, but there are other alternatives, like fundraising to raise money.
Similar to homecoming, there is a theme for the night: City of Stars. It is not expected for students to follow the theme and many people don’t. Despite this, lately the themes I’ve been seeing haven’t caused excitement. While there will always be people complaining, I feel like a more unique theme instead of something cliché would make the night more enjoyable.
Even though I have some negative opinions about prom, you’ll definitely catch me there as this is something I’ve been anticipating since childhood. I’m sure it will be a fun night spent with my peers, but I do think some parts of prom should be changed to make this once in a lifetime opportunity more accessible and less stressful for the students who plan to go.
