Each spring as buds poke out on branches and meadows fill with wildflowers, girls flock to pick prom dresses and boys wonder: vest or cummerbund? Over the years, prom has evolved into a rite of passage for American high school students. The tradition has even penetrated our dear Andover bubble where prom is clearly the most widely attended (by those eligible) and anticipated dance of the year. During the excitement leading up to prom, it is appropriate to step back and consider a basic yet seldom explored question: how did prom evolve and should we condone the materialistic mentality it perpetuates? According to Karal Marling’s book, “Debutante,” the first record of a prom appeared in the journal of a boy invited to attend one at Smith College in 1894. Since then, growing teen culture slowly stitched prom into the fabric of high school life. Prom was not always the rhinestone-gilded and boutonniere-ornamented event that it is today, though. At the beginning of the 20th century, high school students attended a tea in their most dapper Sunday apparel. During the 20s and 30s, teens swapped church clothes for party dress and attended banquets with dancing. Finally, prom as we know it evolved in the 40s. Fueled by post-war affluence, it grew progressively fancier throughout the 50s when people traded schools’ shabby gymnasiums for elegant country clubs and hotel ballrooms. Lavish prom spending continues to thrive. In 2013, a survey conducted by Visa found that families with a teenager dropped a nation-wide average of $1,139 to pay for all aspects of prom. This figure represents an increase of five percent from the 2012 average of $1,078 per family. Even though the $1,139 includes costs superfluous to Andover students such as limousine rentals and after-party fees, the Phillips Academy prom is no freebie. Dress prices climb into the hundreds. At PA’s One-Stop Prom Shop, flowers generally cost between 12 and 32 dollars, Salons price hair appointments at $70 and professionally done make-up adds another $50. Professional photos may gobble up $100 more and a $140 prom ticket caps off the spending. In total, prom easily costs an Andover female $650, assuming the dress is about $300. Why are Uppers and Seniors so ready to spend so much on paraphernalia that they will use for about eight hours on a Thursday night? Perhaps this spending phenomenon occurs because prom was, and still is, a rite of passage, a celebration of growing up and navigating through sophisticated adult society. On one hand, lavish spending reaffirms prom’s traditional social significance, but in contrast, it marks prom’s commercialization. Either way, starting with Sleeping Beauty, Hollywood encourages children to fantasize about their prom nights, the most glamorous events that many participate in until their weddings. Years of learned anticipation preps families to expect a big bill. The hype commonly expressed by swiping plastic makes me wonder whether such extravagance is socially responsible. Instead of investing over $500 into a highschool dance, what else could that money accomplish? For starters, a gift of $500 enables Heifer International (a non-profit that delivers livestock to impoverished families) to give a cow, which provides nutritious milk and opens economic opportunities. Heifer International requires that the animal’s first offspring be given to another family, which magnifies the impact of the initial donation. Furthermore UNICEF estimates that providing a child in South Asia or sub-Saharan Africa with basic vaccinations, measles, tetanus and polio shots, costs between $20 and $40. Assuming the cost is $30, 21 children could be inoculated and potentially saved for the same price (our imaginary $650) as attending prom. Don’t get me wrong, I’m psyched to go to prom. I love my dress, my date and the fancy Park Plaza Hotel setting. I don’t want people to feel guilty during prom, but I do want to inspire reflection. We should think critically about the traditions that society esteems. Society will always tell us when and where to spend big, but it’s our responsibility to analyze the validity of these cultural messages. Prom symbolizes stepping into the adult world, so it is appropriate to consider what events and items deserve our dollars in the future. The key to finding a balance is to think and question. Tori Morgan is a four-year Senior from Middleton, Mass.
