Spring Break marked the beginning of Prom fiasco, where the majority of senior girls at Downey would be frantically searching for the perfect dress, heels, accessories, make-up and hairstyles. Their goal? To make senior year memorable; and what better way to do so than going all-out for Prom. In essence, Prom is the cherry on top to the perfect year.
But is it all worth all the stress, spending so much money, dragging boyfriends to the mall and spending hours looking for that one perfect dress? It all depends on whom you ask. When asked if it was all worth it, senior Candace Benitez responded by saying:
“Of course I think it’s worth it. There’s a lot of stress and pressure on us girls because we have to look beautiful that night, so of course we have to go all out.”
It is true that there is this unspoken expectation that the girls look amazing on Prom. And why wouldn’t they? It’s their senior year and these girls want to look back at that moment and be happy that they looked stunning.
Consequently, this is when girls start looking for that one dress that they will look magnificent in. Girls will go through hours of saying things like, “I look too dark/pale in this color,” “It’s too long,” “It’s too plain,” “Everyone is getting that color,” “It’s too expensive,” until they are able to utter the words: “It’s just perfect!”
When a girl finds her dress, guys expect that all the Prom madness has come to an end.
“When I found my dress, my boyfriend was so excited because he thought that I was all ready for Prom,” senior Betsy Gomez said. “That’s when I burst his bubble and told him that I still needed [to buy] my heels, dye my hair, get my nails and toes done, and find the right hair stylist and make-up artist. He died!”
Through the eyes of most guys, who just have to get a tux and a tie or bowtie, they might think that the girls are overreacting and making everything a big deal.
“It’s different for guys when it comes to getting ready for prom,” senior Jose Quiñonez said. “In a way, I understand why the girls stress out so much because there is this high expectation to look beautiful, but I still feel they can tone it down a bit and just relax.”
In the end, whether the girls think it is appropriate for them to stress and go all out for Prom, while the guys feel that they are exaggerating and need to tone it down a bit, those attending Prom wish to make it a memorable night for their senior year.
So after all the stress and long hours of making sure every detail is just right, May 4 at the Santa Anita Race Track at 8 p.m., will be the moment to shine at the long awaited event.
