28 / A&E
THE PATRIOT
CRACKING the CODE on PROM Debunking what prom is, why it happens and how it’s evolved over our time.
BY KATIE HIEBL REPORTER & MCKENNA PICKERING SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
T
he end of the year is upon us and that means it’s Prom season. Long dresses, suits, ties, fancy restaurants, etc. It’s the time of year where the upperclassmen get fancy, but why? What is Prom and when did it all start? Prom, short for ‘Promenade,’ began in the 19th century and was originally a college formal. The first high school Prom wasn’t until the late 1920s and was used to teach students how to behave as respectable men and women along gender and racial lines and also excluded black students. By the time the Great Depression hit in the 1930s, Prom had become a big enough deal that some high school principals cancelled their Proms so that poorer students wouldn’t be “psychologically wounded.” Proms really took off in the 1950s, when a post-war boom and new consumer market geared toward teenagers made the celebration a mainstay of the high school year. Misogyny and racism were huge factors in the late 1900s but not so much now. Prom is a dance for all juniors and seniors. Some schools have two separate Proms for the grades because Senior Prom is a greater importance. Newer and more updated traditions for Prom include where to take pictures, where to eat, what dress to wear, styles, colors, all kinds of things. Taking pictures for dances, especially Prom, tend to be showy and fancy places. For example, Loose Park for outside pictures or Union Station for inside pictures. “Everyone wants to take them at the World War One Museum. Since everyone takes them there, I don’t want to, but that’s where a lot of people get theirs taken. I have never been to Loose Park, but
PROM FUN FACTS In 1975 Susan Ford was given permission to host her Senior Prom in the White House. Although the President was away in Europe, the Prom event was chaperoned by the Secret Service. Corsages used to be worn by girls around their waist. The average teen now spends about $1,000 on prom, including an average of $325 on the “promposal.” There have been exactly 65,000 movies made about Prom.
I have seen pictures and they turn out really good for most people. Maybe Shawnee Mission Park by the lake or somewhere outside because it is nice out during May,” senior Chloe Hubbard said. Restaurants to go to for dinner tend to be more expensive and nice. Somewhere like McCormick and Schmick’s or the Cheesecake Factory could be an option. “I would probably recommend somewhere kind of nice to sit down like Buca Di Beppo is a good spot. There’s also Cinzetti’s or other italian food. That is definitely... the way to go,” junior Brandon Kirmer said. The most popular aspect to Prom is the attire. Color coordination is key if you have a date because it will make your pictures look better. Prom dresses can be very expensive, but there are places you can find quality dresses for way cheaper than what is usually charged for a Prom dress. Dress shops like Windsor’s or online stores like Lulu’s have really great options for any kind of dress you want. “Normally I get most of my dresses for all dances at Lulu’s because I don’t like to shop in store, so I shop online. I know a lot of people who have gotten from Tobi,” senior Maddy Musson said. “There’s also Windsor’s at the mall. It has a lot of not only dresses, but they have dress tape too so if you don’t want your dress to slip.” The theme for this year’s Prom is “Garden of the Gods” and “Blue Sky”. Decorations will include columns and patches of greenery like plants scattered around the area. The Prom committee is also going to try to incorporate the Blue Sky theme into that as well.
What was your first impression of prom? PHOTOS BY NAOMI MITCHELL
“I have not been to Prom, but I have been Prom dress shopping with my sister before, but that doesn’t really count. I feel like it is just going to be like other dances but with long dresses and at a fancier place.”
junior Kate Hermann
“I wasn’t expecting too much out of it, but it turned out to be really fun and even though the music kinda sucked, it was still a lot of fun and I came out of Prom with a boyfriend.”
senior Kate Riley