It’s that time of the school year when girls have now gotten over their panic about purchasing the perfect dress, and guys have crossed the hurdle of who to ask to attend the prom with them.

Most girls who attended prom spent around $200-500 on the overall prom experience; the ticket itself costs $90, plus the dress and shoes, the boutonniere, and the optional professionally done hair and makeup.

“My overall cost of prom was $400. At first, my budget was a lot lower. I was honestly disappointed in myself in spending that much money on one night, being that it was only junior prom. I’m nervous and anxious to see how much I spend in total next year on senior prom,” Samantha Bain shares.

The overall experience of prom justified the price spent for most people who attended, however. The great music played helped bring the students together to enjoy themselves and dance. The prom gave people the opportunity to socialize with new people and become more friendly with those that they hadn’t been with in the past. Although numerous students spent hundreds of dollars on this night, most would agree that the money was well spent.  

Students were given the option to leave school early so that they would have more time to prepare for the dance. A large portion of the girls left school at 12:10 to get their hair and makeup done. Some might have chosen to get it done by a hair stylist and makeup artist, while others chose to do it themselves. The time it took to get ready ranged between 2 to 3 hours on average. 

“I got my hair and makeup done at Lucias, in Denville. When on my way there, I was anxious to see how it would turn out, worried it wouldn’t be what I wanted,” explains Samantha Bain.

Casey Russo had similar nerves as Sam, apprehensive about the final look. She elaborates, “ I couldn’t keep my eyes off the mirrors in the salon, constantly checking if my hair looked good.”

In contrast to Casey and Sam, Melissa Kosteki had a different approach to getting ready, stating, “It didn’t take as long as I expected. I went to get my hair and makeup done which I planned at the perfect time, and when I got home I put my dress on and was ready to go.”

Of course, the experience that the students have had at prom has varied from year to year. Some students in the past would leave the event prematurely to travel down the shore or accommodate other plans that they had made.

To prevent students from leaving prom, the SGA now requires all students who attend to stay until 9:30 PM. This was set in place to prevent students from wasting their money and participating in irresponsible behaviors.

All in all, Junior Prom has proven to be a unique and special experience that only comes around once a year. It will definitely be one of the moments that I’ll remember from high school.