Prom: A blessing or a burden?

Dazzling dresses and tuxes galore pair up for an entrancing night with much in store, every fleeting moment expected to epitomize the perfection depicted in classic chick-flicks. Yet what is failed to be acknowledged is how these expectations of prom fall short of reality, a reality where many are unable to attend this once-in-a-lifetime experience due to the requirement of a date.

Oftentimes, students are “lucky” in finding a date by bringing along a mutual friend or a person they are not that well-acquainted with. From there on, a sense of certainty of the night going perfectly lingers in their mind.

But this certainty is indefinitely shattered when tensions arise: friends indirectly demanding them to be with their date at all times, their discomfort at hearing the first few notes of a slow song, and then dancing becomes a forethought rather than an afterthought.

At St. Lucy’s such a situation is an impending reality. When a girl is asked the question of whether or not she is going to prom, a common response is, “I do not have a date.” A majority are presented with this setback, prefer to not conform to it, yet have to because there is no alternative of going “stag,” or single, at their disposal.

Though it is understandable to uphold the long-standing tradition of prom being restricted to couples only, modern day calls for individuality and a renewed sense of freedom.

The St. Lucy’s Expected Schoolwide Learning Results (ESLRs) every girl must be knowledgeable of are not fulfilled; they are hindered. The embodiment of spiritual, educated, integrated, and collaborative individuals is restrained by the burdensome pressure the event calls for. Having the option of attending prom as stag exemplifies spirituality by enabling one to discover who they are in a sea of similarity, education in the lives of newly established connections, integration by incorporating themselves in a formal social setting, and collaboration in coming together to truly make most out of the present moment.

The significance of prom, a condensed word for “promenade,” is not indisputable. Defined as “the formal, introductory parading of guests at a party” by TIME, it is a night where one truly relishes the moment with their closest friends and has indelible memories of this “rite of passage” forever ingrained in their minds. This definition begs the question as to why St. Lucy’s shies away from being a living concept of it. Prom should not be solely comprised of opposite sexes pairing up together, but of individuals who “parade” together to “introduce” themselves in a most formal way.