A Night to Remember: Prom 2011

The early days of June mark the beginning of the end for the class of 2011. Graduation is just a few weeks away and prom is one of the last times that high school seniors can spend time all together. Like those before it, the RHS class of 2011 is taking advantage of the formal event.

“We have over 530 students attending which is a significantly larger number than last year,” said Meredith Yanonne, senior class grade administrator. This number includes seniors, underclassman, and outside dates.

Things are a bit different this year. Normaly held at the Teaneck Marriot at Glenpointe, prom will be held Friday night at the Palisadium in Cliffside Park. The venue overlooks the Hudson to create a truly magical, memorable night.

Aside from the magnificent views and atmosphere that the Palisadium provides, students are particularly looking forward to the occasion because it is one of the last hurrahs with classmates.

Senior Danielle Burley said, “People go to prom because it’s a ‘high school milestone,’ but I know that I really want to go because it’s one of the last times I can hang out with my peers at the same place besides graduation.” 

Many seniors start planning for prom months in advance, from purchasing dresses to selecting shore houses for after-prom.

“Some people started planning in December, but I started talking about it in February,” said senior Karen Baddoura.  

With the planning comes stress, especially for those who want prom to go without hitch. This stress leads to prom drama, craftily dubbed “prama.”

“There’s a lot of unnecessary stress but once you step back, [you realize] it’s not that important,” said Baddoura. “It’s Ridgewood prom, it’s not your life.”

Regardless of this realization, students take prom seriously, especially, in Burley’s words, because, “It’s toward the end of the year and there’s not much to focus on, so you focus on prom.”

According to Baddoura, the infamous prom dress Facebook group was set up by January with girls posting pictures of their dresses. The purpose of the group is ultimately to avoid wearing the same dress as someone else, but the goal is virtually impossible.

Even boys feel prom pressure. Owner of , Anthony Avedisian, said, “Nowadays, the guys try to match the girls’ dresses more than ever whereas ten years ago, not many people cared.”

Post-prom plans are the root of stress as well, from figuring out what to do, to finding a house and friends to stay with for the weekend. Students generally rent houses in Long Beach Island and Point Pleasant. 

In terms of finding a house, Baddoura said, “It was difficult because no one really wants to rent to younger people, but we eventually found one.”

It is evident that prom can be a costly endeavor due to dressage, limo, and after-prom expenditures.

The prom ticket itself costs $100.

According to Yannone, RHS offers a charter bus service from the high school to the venue in order to “defray the [transportation] cost for students unwilling to pay the limo cost.”

“[Prom] can be super expensive,” said Burley. “It’s obviously a high school dance and we throw money on it, but at the same time we only have prom once.”

The notion that prom only occurs once for most high school students seemingly transmits a strong message.

“A lot of time and effort is put into it,” said Yannone. “Frankly, a lot of kids hadn’t gone to a formal event before. When it’s your first formal event, you put a lot of time and planning in.”

After all of this time and effort, students simply wish for an enjoyable outcome.

“I hope it’s fun, there’s no drama, everything goes well, and everyone looks good,” said Baddoura. “You just want to have a fun time.” 

“I hope it’s a pretty night, I hope that the students dance the entire night and have a blast,” Yannone concurred.

Ultimately, in the end, prom may be what you make of it. It is not a requirement to spend a lot of money nor is it necessary to let it control every aspect of life. As long as it is taken in stride and is seen as a lighthearted, enjoyable, celebratory event, it promises to be a wonderful night to remember and a great send-off from high school.