Navina K takes an insight into the teenage world of Prom.
All hale the mighty Prom…the moment that all seniors look forward too. Yes, it’s that time of year again! Partying, rejoicing and cherishing their last moments with school buds and fun teachers, it’s all fun and games... only for the students that is. Overtime Prom has become an icon in pop culture and has spread from the US to all over the world.
Renting stretch limos, finding the perfect dress, making sure you have a hot date, prom kings and queens, tuxedos, the corsages…and that’s not even the end of it. A lot of effort goes into making that “perfect night” that all the students will remember forever. Some will feel as if Prom was the night of their life but others will cringe at the “epic fails” that it turned out to be. Even though it may just seem like a regular night it’s huge! Especially in the eyes of a teenage girl. No night would ever be as big…beside her wedding of course. But regardless of what ‘goes down’; prom is definitely a night to look forward to and here are just a few aspects of “The Nightmare before Prom”.

The perfect dress
Alright, this is probably the most exciting and stressing point of a girl’s prom journey. The one time young teen girls are able to wear dresses worthy of movie stars. This dress will be the thing that will define whether she’s hot or not, it’s the thing that can make her feel like a princess for one day, it’s the matter between life and death! Ok…well maybe not that far, but it definitely means a lot to a teenage girl. Even though the arrival of the internet has given young girls the wider variety of purchasing dresses, it will still never feel the same as hitting every store in town with your best mates, which is a prom ritual. Now girls aren’t like guys who throw on a rented tux last minute, they have this dress ready months in advance. But of course it’s not only the dress that needs to be perfect but all the little things as well such as; shoes, jewellery, hair and make-up. Nearing closer to the big day, saloons, spas and beauty centres will be busting with girls, urging for the latest hair styles and hottest make-up trends. When it comes to prom there is no such thing as “too much” for teenage girls.
What if?
Don’t have a date for Prom…I wish you luck my friend. Dates are one of the best parts of Prom, just sharing that special moment with that special someone. We’ve all seen those adorable ‘Promposals’ on youtube, with the guy asking his special lady to the big night in the cutest way possible. And we like to believe it was truly romantic, which it probably was, but not everyone is so lucky. When a guy thinks about asking a girl to prom there is so many thoughts rushing through his mind; “what if she rejects?”, “what if she’s already been asked?”, “what if people start laughing?”, “what if I pee myself?”… what if, what if, what if! But he’s just got to man up and ask the woman and most of the time it goes great! But sometimes…let’s have a moment of silence for our unlucky fellas. And on the night there’s always that one couple that no one ever saw coming. Who would have ever thought dorky Connor would score a chance with head cheerleader Lexi? Surprises, surprises…

Stressful ‘rents
“it’s all fun and games... only for the students that is”. Can you hear that? It’s the crying of a million parents’ bank accounts. For all the parents out there, I just wanna say, stay strong. Teens are willing to spend big bank on prom, BIG BANK! I wouldn’t blame them, it’s meant to be their night. But unfortunately, the “perfect nights” come at quite a price. From renting a tux and purchasing a dress to buying corsages and renting limos, the cash just keeps dropping in. There’s also the fear of what their kid is getting up to on the night. Let’s be honest, Prom is more than just dancing and rejoicing. But I guess all that really matters to them is that their baby boy or girl is having a good time.
Oh no she didn’t!
And finally there’s the drama! No prom in the history of the world has ever run as smooth as a baby’s bottom. I bet even the cavemen had drama at their Proms. Firstly, there’s always going to be those wanna-be rebels that are going to try to spike the punch bowl and those kids that sneak in a bottle of wine. Is alcohol really that important? Then there’s that ever-so dramatic couple, who can’t do anything but blow their heads off at each other. Way to be a buzz kill! Of course there’s also the biggest prom nightmare for a girl, showing up in the same dress as another girl! The whole night turns into a “Who wore it better” sitcom for those two. And then there’s Prom Queen or King. If the winning pair weren’t a couple then there is some serious awkwardness about to go down.

Nevertheless, the Proms of 2014 are going to be a blast and every teenager who attends has the right to feel as if it’s their picture-perfect night. And remember, I’m expecting my invite!