Article by Joey Jweinat ’14

It is that time of year again, which all high school juniors and seniors wait for. Prom. It is the one time of year that high school girls and boys get dressed up and shine for a formal event. For some students, it may be the first formal event they have ever attended.

The word “prom” originates from the word “promenade,” which is a formal dance. Proms began in the 1920s and have ever since been a tradition in the American culture. Consequently, not everyone has that perfect prom experience, which is why you should read on further about the prom DOs and DON’Ts. Each person has his own experience and style; therefore, I will touch briefly upon 10 basic tips, in no particular order, for every prom-bound guy.

#1: Pick the right date. Your date for prom is the person you will make your prom memories with. If you take somebody you don’t know very well, you may feel uncomfortable. If you take somebody that you are attracted to, you will feel nervous all night. If you take a good friend, somebody whose company you enjoy, you are sure to have a good time.

#2: Once you have chosen your date and she has accepted, make sure to keep her and her parents informed about the details of the evening. You don’t want them to worry the whole night; furthermore, you also want to be respectful. If they have not previously met you, make it a point to introduce yourself. Also, you may want to consider checking in with her parents sometime throughout the night.

#3: Be a gentleman and coordinate the details of the evening. Be on time. Make sure you have your ride in place. Do greet your date at the door. Do not honk and wait for her to come outside. It is rude and disrespectful. A black tuxedo is standard attire, but you may want to color coordinate with your date.

#4: Bring your date a corsage. The corsage needs to be ordered in advance with a florist. Most corsages are made to order. It would not be wise to try and walk to a floral shop and try to just pick one up.

#5: Dance, dance, dance the night away. Nobody wants to go to prom with somebody who just wants to sit around the table. Your date wants to dance, so if you don’t want to dance with her, don’t go.

#6: Prom night is not the appropriate time to be making a sexual decision. Do not rent a hotel room or hint the idea of a hotel room. This will put pressure on you and your date to make a decision that you may not be ready to make. Prom and sex are not a good mix.

#7: When taking prom pictures, take into consideration your prom date when ordering a package. Your date wants to have the pictures for memory just as much as you do.

#8: If you have a curfew, respect it. Be at home on time. If your parents trust you enough to send you out for the night, you need to reciprocate the trust.

#9: Do not spend the evening on your cell phone. Give your date the attention she deserves. However, keep your cell phone turned on just in case a parent is trying to reach you.

#10: Be safe, safe, safe. Do not drink and drive. Do not engage in drugs. Do not get in a car with somebody who has been drinking. Prom is supposed to be remembered as a memorable night. Try to avoid any bad behavior.

Prom will always be an association you make with high school in the future, who you went with, what happened that night, and what kind of experience it was. Try to make the best of it and just enjoy the moment. The idea behind prom is to have fun, but responsible fun. Make the evening a special and memorable one. It is one of the evenings you will remember for the rest of your life.