Prom is one of the most hyped up events of an American teenager’s life. It is featured in nearly every Disney Channel original movie and TV show that made up our childhoods. From High School Musical to Radio Rebel, planning for Prom is part of growing up. Sitting an inch from the screen, eyes wide, focused on every sparkle and beat. That picture perfect Prom.
But in all those movies, that special dance has been reserved for only one group of students: seniors.
The question is, however, should it stay that way? Currently, Liberty High School hosts a senior Prom, the only exception being that students can bring a guest of any age, which does open the dance floor up to a few sociable juniors, sophomores, and freshman. Yet, we have never openly invited the junior class to come themselves.
By opening up Prom to juniors, the event doubles in size, price, noise, and chaos. Meaning that by expanding the invite, we take away its exclusivity and uniqueness.
Many people suggest that junior Prom would allow students to have two shots at a perfect night, removing the pressure from the dance. If you get sick before senior Prom, it’s okay because you already went to Prom last year, or if you get sick before junior Prom, you still have the chance to go next year.
But I believe that stress is half of the fun of Prom: getting sick to your stomach as you’re about to “Prompose”, finding the outfit that looks just right, spending hours in the bathroom curling and straightening and curling your hair again. It is all for the sake of that one perfect night; 12 hours filled with memories to last you a lifetime. But that sick to your stomach feeling, that desire for it to be just right, that commitment, only comes when you know it is only going to happen once. One chance to have the time of your life.
Prom was originally based on the debutante balls that young women in high society would participate in as a coming of age ceremony. The idea was for these young women to be presented to society for the first, and only, time. They could only come of age once, and if everything goes according to plan, a person is only a senior once.
Senior year, from sunrise to sunset, if jam packed with once in a lifetime opportunities. Including your one and only, senior, Prom.
