On Saturday night, April 20th, Mills’ 2019 prom was held in the Exploritorium at Pier 15 in San Francisco. Most juniors and a majority of the senior class attended on this momentous day. While only one grade level apart, prom has proven to be a memorable experience that is different for both junior and senior year. The views of prom differed this year between juniors and seniors due to some underlying shifts in perspectives.
From the perspective of a junior, prom was very anticlimactic. In a sense that the venue and food selection was a little underwhelming. The food seemed okay, the chocolate fountain was messy, boba was mediocre, and they served regular drinks like sprite with cherry grenadines. The venue itself was not the type of place I would want to dance in. The dance floor wasn’t small, but rather there were many walkways leading in and out. This caused a little traffic when trying to get to the photo booths. Many people had the option of sitting down really close to the dance floor or sitting down in general. This had people not interacting with the dances. However, the Exploratorium did have other activities open throughout the exhibit, which I chose to interact with instead of actually dancing. This gave others who either needed a break from dancing or did not have an interest in the dance floor an opportunity of not just standing around but interacting with the people at the activities. The Exploratorium opened a section of its exhibit for students to look at and play with, including a magic card deck booth, screen rooms, competitive button clicking, and more. This allowed me to get the chance to talk to others at the same activity, like at the card table. As part of prom committee’s hard work, side photo booths and picture props were provided for students enjoying the dance as well. The photo booths were probably the most fun part of the night. We had flipbooks and photo strips, which were fun to look at after prom and are great souvenirs to remember my junior prom. Although one thing I did regret was not taking more pictures. The prom portraits were a little confusing, as I didn’t get to see the picture and didn’t know when I’d get them. Prom was still pretty fun with the people I surrounded myself with, but the downfall was the venue.
Many will say having a date is essential. Even my mom said, “You don’t have a date? Why are you going?” So, what did I do? I got myself a date. In my mind, I used to think prom dates were a hassle because one of you will have to lead or follow the other. If they aren’t having a fun time, it is supposed to be your responsibility to livin up the mood. You’d be expected to grab them and walk them to the dance floor, or even the food stands. However, this all depends on the dynamic of the relationship. If both of you are having a great time then there aren’t any problems. Otherwise, dances should be fun with either friends or a date. If you do not want to be at a dance alone, getting a date is a possible solution because you’ll have someone stuck to you like super glue for the night. If you don’t have a date then you get the chance to walk around talking to other people and doing things on your own. Ultimately, it’s up to you to have a fun time. So, if the music sucks, that’s okay. Just bang your head back and forth and smile. Prom is what you make of it.
Coming from someone who had an underwhelming prom junior year and a pretty fun prom senior year, I’ve grown to understand the importance of prom as a highschool tradition. Especially as seniors, many of us scrambled to find dates up until the week before prom started. For most people, going with a date could make for a fun night with lots of dancing and getting to know each other, but going with someone you don’t really connect with, just for the sake of having a date, makes that person more of a liability that you’re stuck with instead of partners enjoying each other’s company. Even though I did a lot of walking and sitting myself, couples that dragged each other around and pulled their dates aside to have a “talk” genuinely looked disinterested in each other. Having the responsibility of taking on a date is one thing, but prom night represents itself as a rare occasion when seventy-eighty percent of seniors are gathered together at a venue. I didn’t do a whole lot during prom, but those who I exchanged greetings towards, received handshakes and shared smiles together instilled a sense of melancholy in me. The slow realization that this was the last night I’d spend together with the people I’ve grown up with for eight years. I wouldn’t say that I’m much of a dancer either, but seeing my classmates having fun and looking sharp in their formal attire while having the opportunity to talk to people I don’t usually hang out with, makes saying my goodbyes to the Taylor-Mills community that’ve raised me a lot easier. Having the opportunity to share one last night with them makes graduating easier as it’s better to say a final goodbye than leave without one.
Moving on to more minor criticisms of prom, I personally didn’t mind the selection of refreshments, since hiring a boba shop and having the basic necessities of water and soda, to which sprite with cherry grenadine was my favorite, provided a sensible variety of drinks. However, something I found extremely aggravating was the lack of food. For the price of admission of a hundred dollars, the fact that that there was no food besides chocolate fondue strawberries and cookies turned out to be mildly infuriating for someone like me. Additionally, the weather was cold and the exploratorium is someplace where most seniors have been to at least once before, but overall the location made prom a pretty fun experience. I didn’t like how half the exploratorium was closed off as soon as the doors opened, but the exhibits that were available were pretty interesting. The scenery around the exploratorium was pretty great too. Being situated on a pier, the exploratorium was surrounded by city landscapes and towards the end of a dock, you could get a scenic photo with a group of friends with the sea and the lights of the Golden Gate in the background. And, unlike last year, the music selection this time suited the tastes of most people on the dance floor.
After going to two proms and having the opportunity to reflect on my experiences, I would say that going to two proms as a junior and a senior is worth it for the most part. Even though seniors inevitably exhibit a greater sense of relevancy when it comes to making the most out of their final prom, juniors that attend blend in with the lively atmosphere almost perfectly. As a junior going to prom, they have an opportunity to get to know the graduating class before they go off to college. While talking to an upperclassman is always a daunting task, from my experience, juniors and seniors are way more alike than they might think. In the end, I enjoyed prom and encourage all those who are thinking about going next year to give it a shot.
