Growing up, prom is thought of by many as that one quintessential high school dance marking the time preceding the milestone of high school graduation—that one night of high school to reminisce about in years to come. However, this romanticized notion is not held entirely true at CHS due in part to juniors being permitted to attend prom. Prom, which began in the mid to late 1800s in colleges and universities in the Northeast for the graduating class, has not stuck with its origins of being for the “graduating class.” In concurrence with prom’s 19th century origins, prom should be only for the graduating class, the seniors, to maintain the exclusivity of the night and to serve as a final event among seniors.
Moving to Claremont from out of state, I was shocked when I discovered that prom at CHS is for both juniors and seniors. I had grown up thinking that prom was inherently a senior privilege, unaware that juniors anywhere in the country were given the privilege of attending. Since moving to Claremont, my perspective on this topic has not changed.
Because prom is towards the end of the school year, seniors should be able to cherish it as one of their ultimate moments together as a class before graduation without juniors intruding on this special moment. Since prom is oftentimes thought of as a quintessentially senior event, it should be a privilege that is looked forward to leading up to the spring of senior year. By allowing the junior class to barge into this event, it makes prom less exclusive, exciting, and viewed as an everyday, trivial occurrence. Prom should be a reward for the graduating class, and only the graduating class, to celebrate making it through high school.
Some may argue that juniors, as upperclassmen, are entitled to some kind of reward or privilege. This is an understandable idea. However, this junior privilege should not be inclusivity into senior prom. If there is that much of a need for juniors to be involved in a dance, then so be it; allow the junior class to have an ordinary junior dance that is just like homecoming or something of that nature. Implementing this will give juniors the prerogative that they feel entitled to without intruding on seniors’ final moments. By allowing juniors to attend prom, the exclusivity of the night for the seniors and thus the anticipation of their own senior prom for the juniors is ruined.
Though a senior and junior prom may seem like second nature to many here at CHS, please be sure to take into account the detrimental aspects of a prom with both classes and the potential benefits of the separation of upperclassmen. There are definitely great alternatives to the typical junior-senior prom that will leave both seniors and juniors satisfied. Prom is a fun, finalizing night to be remembered for all high school students and thus should be designed in order to ensure the best experience for the senior class especially.