Many of you may have a  once in a lifetime event in your near future. This big opportunity is prom. Prom night is a night that many will never forget. You will remember the company you were with, the dress you bought, the dancing you did, and the fun after. For some, prom may be a big deal, highly anticipating the music, dance, and audience. However, others may dread the night, and the anxiety that comes with it..

The big stressor of prom nowadays is whether or not you have a date at hand or not. Over the years it has been made a social norm for most people to have a date accompany them to prom. Not only must they bring a date, but a promposal is usually expected as well. This promposal is the creative and unique way a male or female asks someone to prom, whether it be with balloons, a poster, or a teddy bear. When thinking about having a date, many girls look forward to this promposal and it becomes one of the excitements of prom season.

Bringing a date to prom has always been a thing, as I have learned from Mrs. Levitt, a behavioral specialist at Ipswich High School. But as years have progressed, the pressure of having a date has become much larger. Many wouldn’t enjoy going to prom without a date due to what others may say or think. However, attending prom with your  friends can be a much better time, but it’s just not the common thing to do.

When I asked Saba Whitmore, a Junior at Ipswich High School, if she would attend her junior prom with friends or a date, she responded with a firm and bold, “I would take a date, because it’s more fun to go with a date; it’s your junior prom.  Maybe senior prom I’d go with my friends.” This goes for many high school students with a prom in their future. Many feel as if prom would be much better with a date, than with their closest friends.

Many people who have attended prom in the past feel just the opposite. After interviewing Sara Brown, a mother of a senior student at Ipswich High School, I realized that when she went with her date she was miserable. She said, “I’d much rather have gone with my friends and had a good time than go with someone I barely knew just to have a date.” It’s crazy how the viewpoints of different age groups differ so widely. This may be because over time, as my Sara Brown grew older, she came to realize that these social norms really don’t matter or affect your life, or maybe she just really didn’t care about having a date in high school, because she realized that it’s not that important.

Prom is a night that you may never forget. You’ll grow up and your children will ask about your prom night and I’m sure you want to be able to tell them an exciting story versus a sad one. You are the one behind the night’s feelings, so go with someone you know will show you a good time. Don’t be afraid to simply attend your prom with your friends, because they will most likely offer you a better night than a date would. Without a date there is no stress about having to impress someone the whole night and therefore, simply not being yourself. With all your friends by your side, you get to be you! So maybe make a change; go with all your friends, and have a night you will never forget!