Prom-autized

Prom. The event that we all look forward to and also dread at the same time. Nobody wants to be the girl or the guy that is the ninth wheel in a group of couples, dateless.

Finding a date always seems to be an issue with prom. I had a boyfriend for junior prom, so I had no problem finding a date, but this year I looked ahead at May 19 in fear. As April was approaching and everyone around me was getting a date, I felt like I was under an enormous amount of stress. Why is it so hard to find a date? Is it that the boy-to-girl ratio is uneven and there are simply not enough guys to go around?

I ended up getting a date (Thanks, Rafa!) but before then I felt so incredibly desperate. My friends told me to announce that I needed at date at a student council meeting while talking about “school issues.” I should have just put flyers up around the school that read: “PROM DATE NEEDED.”

All jokes aside, I don’t understand why we get so stressed out about an event that is supposed to be fun. Honestly, prom is such a hassle that it ends up being not as fun as it is supposed to be. Not to mention it also feels horrible being in a position watching all your friends get dates and then you end up dateless.

We are all so hung up on what other people think of us these days. I know that I get that way sometimes, but in reality, I just have to realize that it’s not important. Going to prom with your friends and having a good time would make the whole situation so much less stressful.

People wouldn’t have to spend extra money on their date’s ticket. No one would have to run around the school frantically looking for eligible bachelors like I did. Everyone would just show up and just have a good time.

After the agonizing months before prom, I suggest that none of you should ever freak out about a night at the Wicker Civic Center again.

— By Emily Brooks