Prom: a night you’ll remember for years to come. Whether your date is that person whom you’ve had a crush on all year or your best friend since elementary school, the night is always as special as anyone can imagine. But, has prom changed over the years? “My prom experience was really a wonderful time; we had a sit down meal and then a dance. The people I went with were such great friends and my best friend loved to have some fun. She decided at the meal that she would pull my chair out from under me! The style of dress I wore was super popular at the time, and my mother had that dress made for me with all those embarrassing cherries at my hip. [Prom] was really different back then. Girls didn’t go in groups, influences like alcohol just weren’t around, and the boy paid for everything and was a complete gentleman. My prom was back in 1978, and I’m trying to get used to all the changes in this generation,” said English teacher Rosemary Abercrombie (Photo courtesy of Rosemary Abercrombie).

With the changing times, groups of friends have begun attending prom together instead of having the classic date many people associate with prom. “I went to prom with a huge group of girls and had a lot of fun. I feel like the main idea of prom remains the same, but prom dresses, hairdos, and dancing evolve into what’s popular at the moment,” said junior Riya Patel (Photo Courtesy of Riya Patel).

“I went to prom with a guy that was a couple of years older than me.. My mom made my dress herself and she did a really good job on it. [The fashion trends] were pretty tragic; there was a lot of lace, spaghetti straps, off the shoulder dresses, and no short dresses. I like the fact that now you don’t need to be dating someone or be asked to go to prom; you can just go in a group of people. I didn’t even go to my senior prom because I didn’t have a date and no one just went with friends then,” said guidance counselor Barbara Dansby.

“[Prom] was really fun. The music was really good and everyone seemed to be having a lot of fun. It was a really good time but I feel like it’s definitely a lot more of a big deal now than it used to be. People really go all out with pictures and everything. But I really think that's a good thing; everyone likes to have a special night,” said junior Ivy Boudakian (Photo courtesy of Ivy Boudakian).

Maureen Shuler attended her junior and senior proms with the same date. “I went with a date and another couple to prom. Before the prom, we went to Kanpai of Tokyo for dinner and the man flung a shrimp in my date’s luscious locks. The night was really great, but the fashion trends were way different than they are now: the bigger the hair the better, hot pink [everything], and big old hoop skirts. I think a lot of people missed out on going to prom because going to prom with just friends was unheard of. Without a date, people just didn’t go,” said English teacher Maureen Shuler (Photo courtesy of Maureen Shuler).

For some students, a simple change was a lot of fun. “It was just great to see everyone out of [their uniforms] and having some fun for once. But, I feel like the only major change that has happened with prom is the music over the years. It used to be slower and now it’s really lit,” said senior Gracie Beddingfield (Photo courtesy of Gracie Beddingfield).

“My prom was alright. I went with a group of girl friends whose dates were friends with my date. We weren't dating; we were just friends. But by the time prom came around, he was dating someone else. He didn't want to cancel on me, so we still went together. That was a little awkward. Looking back, I would have rather gone with my just my girls and not worried about the guys. I don't think prom has changed much. Maybe the hairstyles and fashion have changed a little, but the purpose is still the same--it's a night to get dressed up, celebrate with friends, and make memories,” said Spanish teacher Mary Verret (Photo courtesy of Mary Verret).

“The day was so much fun and super exciting, but [prom] is a lot more casual and not as special as it used to be and [different than] how I was expecting it to be. But, overall it was still a really great experience that I wouldn’t have wanted to miss,” said junior Daelyn Anderson (Photo courtesy of Daelyn Anderson).

While prom is a huge part of high school for most people, some schools do not have prom at all. “My school was very small and we didn’t even have a prom. Instead, we had a banquet. The idea is that the junior class was throwing a banquet for the seniors. They would do all the work, like coming up with a theme and decorating. Everyone was required to go but no dates were allowed; it was like going together as a class. We would still dress up super nice and then go to the banquet hall where the juniors would have a skit where [they played] the personas of the seniors of that year. Then, we would do senior wills, where we would give up random items that would be a joke. We would all go have dinner afterwards,” said math teacher Mike Diener.

In the end, prom is really what people make it. Each and every person decides what to wear, how to do their hair and makeup, and how they are really going to act at prom. “Prom was a lot of fun. We went downtown, took a ton of pictures, and then danced a bunch. Prom has changed a lot over the years and it probably has a lot to do with the brand new people attending and the environment that they decide to create,” said sophomore Katie Jester (Photo courtesy of Katie Jester).

No matter how much prom changes over the years, it is still a huge part of high school and creates great memories that last a lifetime for the people who attend (Photo courtesy of Grace Daniel).