Bitoshoke Chakma
Traditions like Prom Court, was another moment many looked forward to. One couple in particular was able to go out with a bang! One of Edison’s Varsity Basketball stars, Andre Bisessar, along with his date, Adriana Harilall, won prom court.
For many high school seniors, prom isn’t just a dance, it’s a final chapter of celebrating the memories they made along the way.
If it’s glamorous as it sounds, what made some senior inventors attend and others to skip? From the thrill of dressing up to mark the end of an era with friends, seniors share their personal experiences and the deeper meaning behind their choice to attend a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Prom took place June 4th with over 200 seniors in attendance, but a lot transpired before the day of this highly anticipated dance. To get a ticket you must fill out a Prom Reservation Waitlist Google form along with completing a permission slip. Once those two things are completed you are eligible to purchase a prom ticket with a $150 price tag.
For most students that did not attend this event, the ticket price was the main deterrent.
“It was really expensive and if I’m paying that much money for an experience then I expect the venue to have good food options,” Ishita Jahan said. Paying such a large price for a ticket comes with high expectations. Concern of food quality and not having to spend such an amount of money was an easy pass on the event for her.
According to Saiyara Sami, her expectations were satisfied, where she even ranked her night a “9 out of 10.” She described her experience as “[an] amazing and fun night.” While Sami was able to spend their night with their high school friends, the food didn’t bring any amusement.
Hira Ahmed agreed saying, “I feel like [the price] wasn’t worth it” “…I’ve heard from former seniors who went to prom and they said it wasn’t really worth it, especially the food.”
The steep ticket price ultimately deterred Ahmed from attending prom. Interestingly enough, they have mixed emotions regarding their decision to skip out on the event. “I kind of regret not attending prom, [I] feel like it’s a one-time opportunity to go out with your friends, and I feel like I did miss out but you could always have other events.”
Many seniors like Lucy Ye, wanted to experience the cinematic thrill of dressing up and dancing the night away– like in High School Musical.
Ye believes her experience at prom was worth the expense. “You know, you only get one prom. …I think it was just a fun experience and, you know, it was one of the last senior events. I mean, nothing crazy or spectacular happened, but it’s just a good note to end off the year on, you know?”