The experience of high school is a once in a lifetime thing and as part of that experience is prom. “It’s one of the legacies in high school,” states Kenwood senior advisor Mr. Keener.

Kenwood juniors attended their prom last Friday night, April 28. Junior prom was held in the gymnasium where it was decorated to fit the theme of a “Night Under the Stars”. Kenwood junior Addie N enjoyed her first prom. “It was a fun night to be with your friends and dance.”

Senior prom, organized by Mr. Keener and Ms. Reeves will be held at the Baltimore Museum of Industry next Friday on May 12. This year, senior prom tickets are 90 dollars. This includes the venue, food, drinks, party favors, and candid shots from the Photo Booth. For those who are attending, they’ll be in for a long festive night as the event lasts from earlier in the evening to past midnight. 

Preparation for prom can start months before, especially for young girls.  Some have to get their dresses and suits designed (which can take months) or altered (which can also take long) and that is only the half of it. This year, seniors have voted for the theme “Enchanted Forest”. To some this means wearing a dark green dress or maybe something floral. 

Regardless of if it adheres to the theme, many go all out for prom. This doesn’t just apply to what they wear but their transportation as well. Some students will rent limos, expensive cars, or even borrow a nice car from their relatives. 

Some don’t understand why some of their peers value prom so much, or attending school activities in general. As Mr. Keener has said, the experience is “more than valuable…the people that undervalue these big events tend to regret not being a part of them later in life”. That sometimes is the case. Many people that’d looked down on their own proms later wish they’d went. After high school, you don’t get many opportunities like this again, to dress up and have fun.

In tangent, there are many reasons why students choose to not go. Prom expenses can require their own budget; not everyone can afford prom. Some students are busy, have no one to go with, or, as many juniors say, “they always have next year”. Prom is just not for everyone, for a variety of reasons.

If you can, try to attend at least one of your high school dances. Even if it’s not your thing, you’ll still make memories that you might cherish (or laugh at) forever.