(This is an archive story, please refer to the byline for journalist’s name)
By Caroline Thornburg
Prom is right around the corner and time could not be any faster. By April 25, seniors must have a dress or tux, a prom contract completed, money paid, and a masquerade mask decorated. This a lot to accomplish. So how can you get prepared for all of these requirements in such a short amount of time? Keep reading and you will find out!
2020’s prom will be at Sheraton Ft. Worth Downtown Hotel. It is a long drive, but worth it. The theme of the night is a masquerade ball and will be lasting from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., so be sure to get plenty of rest beforehand. When you arrive, you will find a live DJ, finger food, a froyo station, drinks, photo ops, and more. You will truly not want to miss this night, so you must be sure to get all the requirements done beforehand.
First things first: payment. Prom is not free, so you will need to come up with some money. Currently the tickets are $85 each and will last until March 13, but will eventually go up to $95 until March 27. After this, tickets will no longer be available. This is a large amount of money, so getting it may be difficult. If you have a job, try and work some extra hours and save some money to collectively get up to the amount. If it comes down to it or if you do not have a job, see if you could get a “loan” from your guardians.
When you come up with the money, make sure you have your prom contract. These green packets are located at the front office, so make sure to stop by when you’re free. These packets will require you to read requirements of prom and sign it, agreeing to the standards such as knowledge that you are going to prom and what is going on, along as your parents consent. You will also need a parent or guardian to sign a section, showing they allow you to go to prom. Finally, if you’re bringing a guest, they will need to fill out their information and sign it. A guest qualifies as someone from a different school or someone who is not a senior. Your guest can not be older than 21 or younger than a freshman. A guest will still have to pay to get in, so make sure you can get things settled financially with them. At the bottom of the page, it will allow you to put three song requests. Also, you will be getting a shirt, so make sure you put your shirt size.
Now for the fun part: outfits! For guys, the obvious choice would be a tux or your Sunday best. If you are looking for a tux, there are places such as Men’s Wearhouse in Chapel Hill Shopping Center and Tuxedo Outlet in Trail Lake Plaza. These are pretty pricey, so if money is a problem there is a rental shop named Al’s FormalWear in 5000 South Hulen. For colors, an option could be your tie/suspenders matching color on your date’s outfit. Though it is cheesy, it does make for cute photos.
As for the ladies, dress shopping can be very stressful. You can never quite seem to find the right one. A word of advice: do not walk in thinking you will get what you envision. You might want a certain color, fabric, or look and be dead-set on that only, but be open to other things! You might find that a completely opposite color looks great on you, or a poofy bottom looks better than one that is slimming. Also, take your time. Do not be stressing out and thinking you need one just because your friends have one. You can find prom dresses at the Hulen Mall or a shop called David’s Bridal on 4470 Hulen Park Drive South. If you need a cheaper option, however, there are rental dresses at Al’s FormalWear and All That Glitters on 8547 Camp Bowie W Blvd.
Since the theme is a masquerade ball, you will be handed a do-it-yourself mask for the dance. While some people may be artsy and be able to create something beautiful, others may have trouble deciding what to create. For a simple way to decorate, you just need paint and maybe some feathers or jewels. Your mask will be white at first, so if your dress or tux is a certain color, a smart idea would be to paint your mask that color as well. You can just leave it at that if you don’t have anymore interest, or you could buy some colored feathers or jewels from Hobby Lobby or Micheal's and super glue them onto the mask. Just be as creative as you want with your mask.
There is a lot to do to prepare for prom in the small amount of time left. You may get stressed or rushed, but just remember: have fun. Prom is an exciting time for every senior, so do not let anything stress you out too badly. It will be an amazing time with your date or your friends, so just let loose and have fun.