As the end of the school year approaches, students begin to build excitement for what’s to come. Plans for summer begin to circulate, seniors await graduation, and preparation for final exams are underway. However, the one event upper-classmen at MCHS anticipate the most is prom. Prom is a staple of every high school across the country.
Students find dates and highly expensive attires in order to impress the rest of their school. No matter the school, presenting the best prom possible is always an objective of school administration. This fact is specifically true for the MCHS community.
Prom has been one of, if not the most important event during the MCHS school year since the school’s conception. This Junior and Senior exclusive event is extremely beneficial for the school financially, given that most students dream of attending prom. Whether it’s the portrayal of prom in media or stories from parents who attended the iconic event previously, the majority of students can’t wait to experience prom for themselves, especially those at MCHS.
When asked what he looks forward to most in attending prom for the first time this year, Junior Luis Perez gave an ecstatic response.
“I’m excited to pick out my outfit and you know, spend time with all my friends,” Peres said.
Although prom is an important memory for seniors, prom is the last big high school event, aside from graduation, they will have in their lives. Seniors look forward to embracing all things that make prom special at MCHS. Lasting memories are formed, relationships are strengthened, and students look back at a school experience they will never forget. For senior Brady Anderson, he feels these same emotions as his final prom approaches.
“I’m looking forward to prom this year,” Anderson explains, “I get to spend time with all of my close friends before we all split up in a few months.”
Although there are numerous positive aspects prom offers for students at MCHS, prom also has some negatives. For starters, prom is a stressful event to prepare for. Students have to search for the “perfect wardrobe,” pay an expensive price for the experience as a whole, and decide on if they want to ask someone to accompany them to the dance. Some students may have trouble with these emotions and resort to unsafe means to cope with them. According to the organization Safe and Sober, studies estimate that an average of 30% of high school students in the United States consume drugs and/or alcohol during the week of their prom. Senior Taylor Spellman further elaborates on the stressful emotions that accompany preparing for prom.
“I personally think prom is both stressful and fun,” Spellman describes, “IIt’s fun being able to create memories with all of my friends, but at the same time, stressful get prepared for it and I feel like it drags on too long.”
The one thing students at MCHS must agree on is the impact prom has on the school environment. Prom brings the McHenry community together with the objective of creating the best event possible in mind. Director of Student Activities at MCHS Mitchell Stengel discussed what makes prom such an important event.
“Prom benefits our school’s environment for a number of different reasons,” Stengel explains, “it brings tradition to our school and allows for students to have safe fun. To those who are debating on if they should go next year, you’re never going to experience a night like this in your life!”
With MCHS’ prom only a couple days away, students and teachers alike are preparing to put on their fanciest wardrobes and experience a night they will never forget. Prom is a time in which MCHS attendees can celebrate the conclusion of the school year or when seniors are celebrated before they move on to their next step after high school. Prom at MCHS has a legacy that will carry on for generations to come. Do you really wanna miss out?