First of
all, I'd like to apologize for not writing in such a long time. I've been
extremely busy studying for my final exams. Thankfully, they're over now and
I actually managed to survive! The end of finals signals the end of the school year,
which is approaching incredibly fast. We've already started to discuss what we’re
doing during the summer vacation. However, there is still one major event
before the holidays begin. Prom.
I'm sure everyone will agree that prom is such an important event
in today's popular culture. In my school, it takes place at the end of
sophomore year and senior year, so this year I will be attending my 'sophomore
prom' (I'm not quite sure what the correct term would be). Anyway, it's
considered the biggest, best and most important event in high school by many.
It's an excuse to dress-up in a gorgeous gown, get your make-up and hair done
and, as Elizabeth Eulberg once said in her book Prom and Prejudice (which I haven't actually read),
"attempt to outshine one another".
Don't get me wrong- it's not that I'm not looking forward to prom.
I definitely am. I've even bought my dress. After all, in my school
it is the only formal dance for students. The one thing that I dislike
sincerely about prom is the pressure on girls to have a date and the pressure
put on boys to ask girls out on a date.
Does having a date really matter? If you have a
date, that's great, but if you don't, that's fine too! If there wasn't so much
pressure placed on boys and girls to have a date to prom, the entire experience
would probably become a whole lot more enjoyable. First of all, guys could say
goodbye to the stress of trying to figure out whom to ask to prom, and worrying
about whether or not the person will say yes. If they weren't under pressure to
find a date, they would probably ask girls whom they genuinely liked and
wanted to go with instead of just asking every single girl in alphabetical
order, like Patton in the short-lived Fox sitcom Quintuplets. It's
the same thing for girls. Instead of saying yes to the first guy who asks you,
out of fear that no one else will, and spending prom night in an awkward
situation, you can go with your friends and have a ball, or wait until the guy
whom you really like to go with asks you.
If no-one asks you to prom, you shouldn't have
to feel bad and think that maybe you shouldn't go. After all, even if prom is
slightly overrated (which, deep down, we all know it is), it is a chance to
spend time with tons of people you know and (hopefully) like. Trust me, you'll
probably feel worse if you don't go at all. If you do go without a date, think
about the amount of freedom that you'll have. You won't have to stick by your
date's side the whole time, or spend your night worrying about whether or not
they're enjoying themselves. You can do whatever you like and want to do. So if
someone asks you who you're going with to prom, don't feel bad or embarrassed
if you don't have a date. When someone asks me who I'm going with, I like to make
light of it, by asking my best friend to prom on the spot.
Also, it’s important to note that no girl
actually needs a guy to make her night amazing. We are all strong, independent women
who don't need men. I believe that the above quote explains everything succinctly and in the best way possible.
In my opinion, having a date to prom shouldn't be a big deal. After
all, as Jane Austen once said "to go previously engaged to a ball does
not necessarily increase the dignity or enjoyment of a young lady"
