Making Prom a Night to Remember

If you are a soon-to-be-graduating senior, you are probably experiencing a wild mix of emotions and feelings at this time. The relaxation of Spring Break has passed, and your nerves spike each time the letter carrier comes, possibly bringing that college acceptance letter you’ve been anxiously anticipating. Graduation is certainly on your mind, and it’s met with more mixed feelings: on that night, you’ll say goodbye to the classmates that have surrounded you for the last 12 years, but you will also cross a threshold welcoming you to the rest of your life.

Prom is also right around the corner, an event that you’ve probably imagined often throughout your high school years. It will be one of the most unforgettable evenings of your teenage years, but what will you remember about it? And how will your classmates remember you?

Prom has a certain magic to it, created by weeks of hard work in committees and years spent envisioning the night ever since you saw an older sibling or friend tuck into a shiny stretch limo. You carefully choose your dress or tux, and it’s probably the first time you’ve ever worn something so extravagant. You select a boutonniere or corsage as a lovely complement, and you decide where to go to snap pre-prom photos with your friends. You pick a date, you choose a restaurant, and you carefully make your choices to make the evening as perfect as you can imagine.

There’s another choice on the mind of many prom-goers: whether to include alcohol or drugs in their plans.

Prom is supposed to be one of the most memorable nights of your adolescence, but too many teens won’t remember it at all because they will decide to make these substances part of their prom plan. Others won’t even make it to the after-prom parties because they chose to drink and drive.

Before prom, talk to your friends about how you want to remember the night. Prom is a time for celebration, not an occasion to make choices that can have serious, life-threatening consequences. Instead of choosing to use drugs and alcohol, make a promise to spend your night together making memories that will last a lifetime.