Protecting the hierarchy

Jayden Warren, Staff Writer

It’s the night so many have been waiting for. The night all girls plan weeks in advance. Everything must be perfect. Perfectly placed pins, cascading curls and flowing dresses, it’s the night where students feel like royalty.

This extravaganza is the one event the school and students alike probably spend way too much money on. Prom is supposed to be exclusive, only for the kids who want to participate and spend their money. That is why this special night should only be for seniors.

Senior year is a pivotal year for students. It is the last year before each student’s life “truly begins” and prom is the perfect way to celebrate that. High schools all across the country keep prom a senior only event, which makes the event that much more special.

Because the event is open to juniors, that means more students are able to go. More students means a larger budget has to be allowed to make room for a larger crowd. Also, because juniors have the opportunity to go twice in their high school career, the significance may become polluted.

Prom is supposed to be a celebration of the end of high school. With it being so close to graduation, it signifies the school’s appreciation toward the seniors and their closing of lifelong memories.

Just because juniors plan the dance, doesn’t mean they earned the right to go. Every senior was once a junior and each person can wait until their senior year to experience the dance. Like everything else, high school is a hierarchy. Senior year is the time when students finally experience all of the senior activities.

Juniors may decide not to go because each student has the opportunity to go twice. Thus, the amount of students expected is reliant on if juniors decide to join in on the festivities. Prom planners become focused on recruiting two classes instead of one to make sure they reach their quota.

Besides once juniors are allowed to attend the event, prom starts to be more accessible to underclassmen. More freshman and sophomores may end up going because juniors may be more closely related to the younger grades than compared to the seniors.

Regardless of the junior class’ contribution to prom, the event should extend only to seniors. Nobody thinks back and remembers prom as that one junior night to remember, it’s always been associated with seniors. So while prom is technically open to juniors, it should solely be a senior privilege.