When students at Pleasant Valley think of high school dances they usually imagine fancy dresses, the stress of finding the perfect date, and a lot of planning for pictures, dinner, and an after party. This year, the cost of prom is sky-high with the price of tickets, and the competitiveness to see who can purchase the most extravagant dress. All of the worry surrounding prom and making it perfect, takes away from what has been described as one of the most magical nights of one’s life. That’s why some schools have decided to take a different approach.
At a high school in Freeport, Illinois, everyone gets to go to prom with a date, if they want to. Students attending Aquin High School put their name in a drawing and their date is picked for them at random regardless of prior relationships. Some may think that this is unfair and ridiculous. This leads to even more confusions when people find out that these students participate in the drawing by choice.
The senior class votes, every year, on whether or not to continue the drawing, and every year they choose to stick with tradition. The event has turned into something people from the community look forward to every year. Boys are ushered into the library where it is revealed who will be their date, while the girls wait patiently in the gym. The boys then perform a skit to reveal who their date will be. Parents and citizens from the community come to the school to watch the skits and uphold the traditional event.
Prom is not the only dance in which Aquin High School has shied away from the norm. Instead of a traditional turnabout dance, with fancy dresses and ties, this year a sock-hop was held. Students dressed in poodle skirt and leather jackets to come to the school for a night of burgers, milkshakes, and dancing. Parents and teachers were dedicated to making their theme come alive.
Another school that goes all out with their dance themes is Barrington High School, in Barrington, IL. A few weeks before prom, Barrington puts on a dance for students of all ages to get together and have fun. Ally Griffin, senior at Barrington High School, said, “I enjoy being able to have a dance that’s not so serious. No has dates or groups. Everyone just goes together to have a good time.” This year the theme was a disco. Students could be seen wearing bell-bottoms and miniskirts dancing to tunes from the 70s and the 80s.
A more local school with an interesting twist on prom is Assumption High School. While many schools across the country include dinner with the cost of prom, and everyone eats together, Assumption is the only school in the area to stick with that tradition. Many look forward to the ease of not having to plan a dinner and decide on a group. Shannon McGuire, senior, said, “Assumption is a small school. We’ve all grown up with each other, so it’s nice to all be able to go,in what feels like, one giant group.”
