Q: So, did you end up going to the prom?
A: Yes, I actually did get my act together and go to prom.
Q: Did you enjoy yourself?
A: I did enjoy my time at prom, although I was disappointed by the entire event. I had prepared myself for some bad music, but the D.J.’s ineptitude exceeded my expectations. The actual songs were not necessarily to my liking, but this was overshadowed by the D.J.’s tendency to play with the songs’ tempos at random. This made dancing really difficult.
Q: What was the best part?
A: The best of prom was spending time with some friends that I have made over the past four years at high school. Reflecting on the experience as a whole, the strongest memories I have of the night are those of brief moments when I connected with friends. I can remember teasing a friend and making her laugh, shaking a childhood friend’s hand, dancing with my date, and other such interactions. These are the portions of that evening that I will smile at when I recall them in years to come.
Q: What was the worst?
A: The worst part of prom was the definitely location. The dance floor was minuscule! It might have been thirty feet by twenty feet. I think that about 200 kids showed up, so it was absolutely choked. Of course, this can be blamed on my school’s lack of initiative in booking a proper location, which nearly ruined the event.
Q: What did you do the day of the prom?
A: I left my house at 4:30, met my friends, went out for dinner (which was a blast!), arrived at 7:30, and left prom at 11:30. So, I guess I was there for four hours.
Q: Did you take a date?
A: Yes, and I’m glad that I did. We went as “friends.” It was all very casual, but it was also really nice to be there with someone. I asked her at lunch a few days beforehand, and, luckily, she wasn’t spoken for! If you listen carefully, you can hear her a few times in the piece. She’s the girl whose dress cost about $100. This is the dress she’s wearing in the photo.
Q: Did you go to any after parties?
A: Yes, I went to my date’s after party. It was extremely fun. Unbeknownst to me, it seems as though you don’t have to go to prom to go to the after parties as one of the party-goers did not attend prom. I was glad that she was there though because she’s a close friend. All considered, I’m glad that I went to prom and got the opportunity to hang out with some of my best friends from high school.
Q: If others are struggling with this decision, what would be your advice?
A: My decision only became clear as I worked on this feature and tried to assess the reasons for my feelings towards prom. Here’s how I see it: if you’re going to dance, hang out with your friends, or to just generally have fun, go! As long as your friends are going to be with you, you will have fun. If you just want to go because you are afraid of missing out on the “prom experience,” don’t worry. If you boil away all of the pomp and circumstance, it’s just a high school dance. If this isn’t your scene, throw an anti-prom party with your friends and you will never regret it.
