BY JESSICA WEAVER
Prom is the night every senior anticipates throughout their high school career. For some, prom could even be defined as the last big blowout before they enter the real world. But what should be just a simple night of friends, food, and fun; has become an overly expensive dance with flashy transportation and glamorous after parties. After paying close to $500 for one night’s worth of partying, one must wonder how prom got to be what it is today and if there is anyway prom can be stripped of its unnecessary newfound definition.
Proms were first mentioned in high school yearbooks during the 1930s and 1940s, but historians believe they may have existed as early as the late 1800s. Proms back then were outdated compared to today’s overdone school dances. In recent times prom has become a scene of $2,000 party buses, extravagant dresses, and luxurious after parties in the penthouses of fancy hotels. Where and when this custom began, no one is sure, but it is unreasonable to spend thousands on a simple school dance that was once appreciated just for its good food and music.
In recent times the U.S economy has been down and families have found themselves adjusting their budgets to get by. Prom itself is an event that costs months of saving. Alone, without adding on unnecessary expenses, a prom ticket is $80. Then add on the expense of renting a tux or buying a dress and for females getting their hair done and the cost could be upward to $300. Then after shoes and accessories are purchased and corsages/boutonnieres are ordered another $100 is added to the total. But as if this wasn’t enough, students feel the necessity to rent a limo/bus (depending on the group size), as well as rent out a penthouse for an after party. This cost is easily $100 per student. All of this totals up to be about $580. This is simply too much money for teenagers to pay for one night.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 48 teenagers are killed and 5,202 are injured in vehicle accidents on a typical prom weekend and 40 percent of those deaths are alcohol related. For this reason alone, proms would be much better off held in the safety of the school. As fun as the 20-minute bus ride to the extravagantly decorated hotel is, the reality is that it’s not safe. Many students are tempted to drive from after party to after party and whether they are intoxicated or not, it is never safe to be driving late at night in an unknown area. If prom was held at the school students would be able to have their parents drop them off or pick them up.
Instead of being an overdone dance, prom should be a great night consisting of friends, food, and dancing. If students stripped prom of its extravagance they would save tons of money and possibly be able to focus on more important events coming up in their future.
