Juniors Justify No Prom

By MELISSA POLLACK

Junior Prom is a huge expense. A Juniors dress from Plainview is $400, shoes were $300, and makeup and hair is $110. This price varies in every family, but most times than not, it is ridiculously expensive. — A Plainview junior’s dress cost $400, shoes $300, and makeup and hair $110.

There has never been a junior prom at Jericho High School. However, in other local districts, junior prom is an extravaganza that most eligible students attend. Some juniors feel it is unnecessary and very costly, while others feel junior prom is a stress reliever where they can hang out with their friends.

Ward Melville High School junior Hayley S. believes that, although prom is a stress reliever, the preparations are much too costly. “It is $80 for a prom ticket, $60 for after prom, $50 each for the bus after prom, probably about $30-600 for a dress depending on who you are, and also hair, makeup and shoes,” she said. For some students the preparation for junior prom is very tedious and it becomes hard for them to balance school, friends and family.

In the Syosset Central School District, junior Ilyssa G. feels that “junior prom does not take away from schoolwork because nobody thinks it is important to stress about this event.” At JHS, junior Olivia S. feels that junior prom would be insignificant and take away from the prominence of senior prom. “It’s a stressful event that is unnecessary in junior year. We don’t need the extra pressure that juniors already have during this time of year,” she said. During this crucial moment of junior year, a majority of students are focusing on AP exams, the SATs and the ACTs.

A very important component in the preparation for Junior Prom is finding the perfect pair of shoes. In this case, these shoes are $500, definitely in the pricey range. Some will go measures to spend this much money on shoes they will probably never wear again. — This junior’s prom shoes cost $500.

JHS principal Mrs. Rosenberg has never heard of any complaints from students about this. “We’ve never had one, so there was never a problem. I think part of it is that senior prom is something special. If you’re doing junior prom, it waters down the significance of senior prom.”

Junior class advisor Mrs. Zahn agrees that junior prom is just another big expense, and since no one has ever asked for it, there should be no consideration of hosting such an event now. However, Zahn is open to the idea of having a party on a lesser scale. “Perhaps juniors shouldn’t have a prom–they should have a small party that includes everybody,” she said.