By Staff
Kim West
Spring is high school prom season, which brings back plenty of good memories. Most of the local schools have already held their proms, and Red Bay will celebrate its prom tonight despite probably having to play in the county softball and baseball tournaments tomorrow morning due to the rainouts.
Proms can be anti-climatic because of all the hype and hoopla that surround the evening, although it always surprises me when I talk to people who didn't even go to their prom. One of my co-workers attended every prom from freshman to senior year so it was difficult to get excited about her final one.
I had a great time at my junior prom because everyone hit the dance floor, but senior prom wasn't as fun because it was held in the same location as the year before and we had a DJ who insisted on playing out-of-date music and a little too much country music. I think most of us hit the after-prom parties by 10 p.m. even though the actual dance started after 8 p.m. thanks to the prom king and queen ceremony. I'm pretty sure Travis Pepper was our senior prom king and Amber Murray was the queen, and it was kind of funny because they were two of the shortest members of our class and also because of the overly ornate crowns and capes that came with their respective titles. It was refreshing that they won, though, because they were also two of the friendliest people at our school. I can't even remember who was named king and queen my junior year, and that was less than 10 years ago – I guess that's where yearbooks come in handy.
I always thought of prom as the last chance for everyone to get together and dance but I think for some it is a way to stand out, whether it's a one-of-a-kind dress or tuxedo or a red-carpet arrival in a vintage Rolls-Royce. And I'm sure some people would say the after-parties are the best part of prom night. There's nothing wrong with hanging out with your friends and having a memorable night together but please remember to also be careful. I know that's probably not something that's No. 1 on the prom checklist but don't forget to check that off, too, along with the fresh corsage or buttonaire.