Why Prom Is and Should Always Be an Upperclassmen Event

Drake Trent

Many people feel that limiting Prom to seniors only is unfair to the other grades. This hasn’t been an issue at Sage Creek yet, but we have only had one Prom so far.

Drake Trent, Feature Editor
May 30, 2018

I struggled for four years at Sage Creek, back when there were only two classes, freshman and sophomore. There was no prom for any of us then; even when we had a junior class, there was no prom. Hoopcoming used to be in the cafeteria, of all places, not a glitzy off-campus location. It wasn’t until last year that Sage Creek even had its first prom; I was a junior and I got to enjoy every second of that upperclassmen glory. I had earned it, or at least I feel like I earned it. Beyond the intense gratification I felt for surviving to the ripe, old age of 17, I felt like I had undergone an important rite of passage. A rite of passage that would be negated if prom was available to every class, yet the debate over prom rages on. In my humble opinion, stop complaining. Prom is and should remain an upperclassmen event.

First off, you guys get two whole other dances than prom. That’s right two, not one but two, you’re not missing out on any high school experiences if you suck it up and go to those. Seniors and juniors only get to go to one more dance than that. Fall formal was even off campus, that’s a pretty good compromise, especially considering you get to wear all the formal wear with prom. It’s got the glitz and glam without the title, so get excited and go all out for that dance. High school is what you make it.

Rites of passage appear in every culture, in Latin America the quinceñera is a rite of passage, in Jewish culture, the Bar Mitzvah is a rite of passage, and the most important of all is Prom. Just simply allowing everyone to wander into Prom completely removes the cultural value. No longer is it something that you’ve waited years for, no longer is it something that is the iconic high school experience. It’s just another school dance, you go to it every year, you wear the fancy clothes, but there is no distinguishing mark of it. Furthermore, it’s the mark of moving onto to next stage, for juniors it’s a sign of moving up to the top of school culture, and for seniors, it’s a farewell to their childhood and high school career. Sure I may just be a grumpy old man stuck to my traditions but I will argue for those traditions until my inevitable death.

I’m not alone in these feelings; senior Tyler Smith shares the same sentiment. The general consensus is that it’s a matter of time spent and effort put into surviving high school.

“No, [the underclassmen] don’t deserve it, we had to work for four years for Prom,” Smith claimed.

To those of you arguing that age is just a number, and you should just be allowed to go, I agree. Age is just a number, that’s why you make friends with a senior or junior, or if you feel so inclined, date one. Problem solved, you get to go to the Prom you always dreamed of early. It’s not unreasonable to want to go to Prom with your better half, and it is currently allowed. I can agree with that, I’m not some tyrant of a senior handing decree down from on high. Not that I can pass down any decrees, but I have dreams.

Give yourselves a few years and you’ll see I’m not all that crazy. Prom is a special moment in all of our lives, as soon as we’re an upperclassman. So just wait a little bit longer, patience is a virtue.