Prom!

It’s Prom time in the Lehigh Valley. My daughter, Emma, is only a freshman and so won’t be attending Parkland’s Prom tonight. But she said that, at school, that’s all anyone has been talking about all week.  Exciting times! Expensive times! My how times have changed.

My Prom was the Junior Prom. I think that was the case in all the high schools in the area back in the ’60s. I’m not sure when or why that changed but today it is known as Senior Prom.  Our Prom was held in the high school gym. We decorated the gym ourselves and had a small budget to do so.  Parkland’s Senior Prom is at Steelstacks. Knowing Parkland, they probably hired a contractor to make Steelstacks the way they want it.

Back in the day all we did to ask someone to the Prom was to ask someone to the Prom. Today they have themed Promposals and it is made out to be a really big deal.  I don’t think there was a single limo in sight at our Prom. Tonight I am sure they will be out in full force.  I can’t remember what it cost to go to our Prom, but Emma told me that the Parkland Prom costs $50 per person.

I am not saying that a Prom today is worse or better than when I was in high school.  But I am concerned that with all of the pomp, festivity, and expense there is a huge portion of a school population that cannot attend.  That, I think is sad.

So let me reminisce a little about my Prom in the Spring of 1969.  Maybe it can be held out as an example of how you can have a wonderful time and not spend a ton of money.

Like I said, our Prom was in the gym and we decorated it ourselves. We had a theme “Wonderland by Night” and that was the song that was played while the Prom court and their escorts danced.   We had eleven girls on the Prom Court, voted in by secret ballot. Each of them was to choose an escort from  their same junior class. I was lucky enough to be chosen. Thank you Bev Scherer. We had a dance lesson or two a few days before Prom.  I remember that being hilarious, as our gym teacher, Jim Waite, tried to teach 22 juniors the waltz.

Prom night itself was a wonderful time. I think we had a band, the Centaurs. Imagine how much that would cost today! The culmination of the night was the crowning of Prom Queen. Jane Correll was that girl.

I can’t remember any after Prom parties, but maybe I just wasn’t invited!

Thanks for allowing me to reminisce. It’s a rainy day, so maybe you can spend sometime indoors reminiscing as well.