Imagine a large room with colorful lights bouncing around while there is music playing in the background. There are intricate pieces of decoration and even more intricate evening gowns. This image can only be defined by prom season coming up, and that means Lambert students have begun or already started their preparations for a night of music and memories. While prom is an experience almost every student cherishes, the cost associated with it can be unaffordable. Often overlooked costs can make an essential student experience like prom too expensive.
Tickets for this year’s prom have been on sale since the beginning of March with tickets initially costing $60, but the price has risen since then. Though there will be less students due to prom’s exclusivity to upperclassmen, many students find that the price increase seems like a way to discourage students from attending.
“If you increase the price rate every single week, there will be less people that are going to want to come and then it won’t be worth it,” Junior Anya Gupta explained.
While the ticket sales will go towards decorations and renting out space at Lanier Technical College, the high ticket prices are likely to drive down the total attendance.
Aside from paying their own tickets, some students will be bringing dates from outside the school and will have to cover their admission as well. These students will end up paying well above $100 just for bringing other students, which can be a disadvantage to certain individuals over others because some will not be able to cover the cost and will not be able to enjoy the event with the people they care about.
Additionally, prom dresses come with a high price tag. Typically, these types of dresses can cost from anywhere between $100 to $700 and are the most expensive part of the prom experience. Senior Meghna Majumdar explains that many students will want to spend more on prom dresses since this will be the seniors’ last dance, making the event much more important.
“Because seniors want to look nice for senior year, everybody is trying to get nice dresses for their last prom,” Majumdar noted.
For some students, the high cost they incur can be attributed to peer pressure. Many feel that they have to pay a certain amount of money on clothes and other expenses to fit in with their peers causing them to purchase more than they can afford or deem reasonable.
There are many approaches to solving this problem. On Lambert’s part, they can consider renting out a space that is more budget-friendly while still being a nice location. Students could contemplate doing more research to find affordable attire that is both good quality and looks great. Prom is supposed to be an unforgettable experience where students get to have fun with their friends and enjoy themselves. Students should not have to spend time worrying about how much they will have to spend or whether they can afford to attend.
