The “cha ching” of the cash register, the scream of joy after a promposal, and the beat of the music are just some of the sounds a person hears as they go through the process of prom. The Bowie 2016 prom was here after lots of preparation, money, and excitement.

Bowie prom is a tradition every year for the seniors to have one last bit of fun before college comes. Prom is important, well awaited, and a crucial thing to attend as students say goodbye to Bowie.

“I think prom is important in high school because it’s like the icing on the cake at the end of your senior year. We may not get to see all of our friends from high school after graduation so it’s a nice time to just go all out and make the best of it,” senior Kayci Wheeler said.

Prom is an important step in finishing one’s high school career, it’s a time when everyone can look their best and have some fun.

“Prom is super important to me. It’s a time to hang out with all of your friends before you leave and go your separate ways for college,”senior Taylor Davis said. “Its also a time to all dress up super nice together, which is super fun.”  

It involves many people and a lot of time to make prom happen, from finding the music to making sure there are enough chairs, the prom committee and a big crew works very hard to make prom happen.

“As one of the vice presidents, I’m mostly here to assist the presidents when making decisions. My main job has been selling prom tickets during lunches, as well getting the supplies for the prom invitations,” class officer and vice president Minh-Thi Nguyen said. “ The president’s collect the money and keep track of who has bought tickets. They also choose the prom king and queens accessories and the setup for the venue.”  

This memorable day is definitely not cheap but prom is worth every penny in memories and time spent with friends.

“I think prom is definitely expensive. Some girls spend around $500 on a dress for one night. Not to mention I’ve heard so many boys complaining about buying prom their prom ticket as well as their dates ticket,” Wheeler said. “ I think the prices are a little overwhelming especially since most of us will be going off to college in the fall. But I think when prom finally arrives it will all be worth it because of how much fun we will have.”

To help try to keep the prices down, the class presidents and prom committee raise as much money as they can through different fundraisers, Nguyen explains.

“We have many different fundraisers to raise money for prom such as t-shirt sells, food sells after school, and popcorn sales,” Nguyen said.

Many people don’t care about the price because they are just so excited to experience prom, There ia a lot of work put in to make it all happen and make it a memorable experience for everyone who comes to prom.

“I am in charge of my prom group! We each will pay about $200 for dinner and a party bus. Not including the $40 ticket! I think it is totally worth it. Everyone puts in a lot of effort for Prom to happen,” Davis explains.

Although expenses can be high even after the fundraisers, it is worth it because the theme and venu has been worked on for over a year and will be worth the wait.

“This year’s prom will be held at the Omni Hotel Downtown and the theme is James Bond,” Nguyen said.

With this exciting theme there are high expectations as eager seniors wait and plan for the big night.

“This is my first time attending prom. I’m expecting lots of dancing and having a good time with my friends,” Wheeler  said.  

Although prom is fun and exciting it is a lot for the class presidents and sponsors to organize.

“Prom is probably one of the most stressful parts about being in class officers. Planning and prepping for prom takes a lot of time and hard work but it’s definitely worth it. I get the chance to help out and plan this memorable day for us seniors,”  Nguyen said

Prom dates get creative on how to “propose” for prom, some dates come from as far away as Louisiana to join their dates.

“My boyfriend is flying here for Prom from Louisiana. He will fly here the day before (friday) I met Brennan in Florida during summer vacation and have been dating him for a couple months now,” Davis said. “I always talked about how important prom was to me and he immediately wanted to come and enjoy the fun with me. I haven’t seen him in about a month now. So it’s a huge deal to me and i couldn’t be more excited.”

Dates get very creative during prom season, asking in different ways and getting their friends or class involved to make the moment special.

“My boyfriend, José, came into my anatomy class with my teacher’s permission and asked me in front of my classmates,” Wheeler said. He held a sign that said “My heart would crunch if you didn’t go to prom with me” and spelled out prom using chips from Torchy’s. He then gave me Torchy’s chips and queso.” 

Promposals are very special but some like to bring silliness into the mix of their promposal.

“My proposal was hilarious. Brennan asked me when he came for his spring break. He packed a hot dog outfit,” Davis  said. “He then walked into my kitchen holding a sign dressed as a hod dog that said ‘don’t be a meanie, come to prom with this weine’ so I guess i’m going to prom with a hot dog.”

Prom is not always laughs and giggles, especially for a class officer or someone that is part of the prom committee, it can be very stressful to plan such a large event but once once they are in prom it is totally worth it.

“The best part about prom has to be getting my dress and the actual prom. The worst part is definitely planning for prom,” Nguyen said. “You have to find people to be in your group, find a restaurant that meets your group’s necessities (size and dietary restrictions), making sure that everyone agrees to those plans and saving enough money for the night.”

Although excitement might be racing through the veins of many, nervousness is definitely felt throughout the student body, especially on the dance floor.

“I am most nervous for the actual dancing part of prom,” Wheeler  said. “But I think that prom is important to the whole high school experience. It’s a nice way to end your senior year by spending it with your friends and classmates, and it’s nice to have the memories to look back on.”

The prom also does a good job of keeping the absence policy in check if you miss too many days you can’t go.

“Students with four or less absences are allowed to attend prom. If they have excessive absences, they must talk to their assistant principal in order to clear their absences,” Nguyen said.

Seniors work very hard, trying not to miss too many days so they can enjoy prom and the pre celebrations which are just as important to them as prom.

“I am most excited about my pre prom plans,” Davis said. “My pre prom plans consist of going with our prom group and spending the morning doing something like paddle boarding or hiking. Then after everyone gets dressed we are going out to dinner.”

Some people are getting their hair and nails done or doing it themselves, many hours go into getting ready.

“I have a hair and makeup appointment the day of Prom and the day before to get my nails done,” Davis said.

Getting ready for prom is not a simple task, sometimes it takes a whole team.

“I’m getting ready for prom with my friends. We are doing our own hair and makeup together at one of my friends house. I plan on getting my nails done the day before prom,” Wheeler said.

Although you can go to prom with just a date, many students decide to go with a just a group or a group as well a date.

“My group is going to Eddy Vs for dinner and riding there on a party bus from a friends house in which we will all take pictures at with a professional photographer,” Davis said.

Prom can be enjoyed in many ways and can have different pre-celebrations or preparations prom is much awaited and much deserved for the hardworking seniors ready to go to college.

“I do think prom is important to a high school experience. Prepping can be stressful, but you’re creating amazing memories. Everyone deserves that one special night to spend with their friends before we part ways after graduation,” Nguyen said.