First world prom-blems

April 19 was a night to remember as the juniors danced the night away at the Bay Club during their prom. Just as Gabriella stressed over her own prom in “High School Musical 3,” girls at school struggled to sort through the numerous items necessary to make prom memorable.

Excitement for prom began with the creation of the “Junior Prom Dress” Facebook group on Feb. 28.

As prom neared, however, girls envisioned the rows of dresses available for them to try on at stores. Although seemingly fun, they found that this process was more complex than they thought it would be.

Among the first-world problems present during prom season is the fear that some girls may purchase the same dress as others. The Facebook group aimed to prevent this; dresses were posted once purchased to spread awareness of the fact that they were “off limits.”

Although the group saw more than a hundred posts, some students found its purpose to be unnecessary.

“The group wasn’t required since everyone has a different taste,” junior Anshika Maheshwari said. “I did like its existence, though, for the purpose of drooling over all the beautiful dresses.”

Dress down, shoes next. Most girls opted for heels, while some stuck to flats or sandals.

“I think shoes are more dependent on the height of the girl’s date,” junior Eunju Pak said. “If the guy is over a foot taller than the girl, then she’s more likely to have skyscraper heels. If she’s the same height or taller than them, then it’s better to don sandals to prevent any awkward photos.”

Next, hair and makeup. This usually varies per person. Pak believes that whether girls get both done professionally or do it themselves depends on how much free time they have and how picky they are.

“I did my own makeup for prom because I don’t always trust others doing mine,” Pak said. “Some professionals will overdo it to the extent that I look like a clown. Getting my hair done was fun though and completely worth it.”

Once appointments with either salons or talented friends were made, the last thing on the agenda was the pre-party. These social gatherings, which are meant for taking pictures and posing with friends, proved to be very stressful, contrary to what images posted on social media look like.

“There was so much confusion with the pre-party that I planned on hosting,” Maheshwari said. “We created and canceled at least four events on Facebook before finalizing the details for my pre-party.”

Photographers come to take photos on behalf of the pre-party attendees, usually charging between $5 to $10 per couple.

“I wasn’t sure how photos would work, but thankfully [sophomore] Luke Salin was willing to take pictures for us,” Maheshwari said. “We’re incredibly thankful that he was willing to do this stressful task for us because the pictures turned out beautifully.”

After pictures were taken and the pre-parties came to a close, the cars left for the high school. Once there, students rejoiced in the presence of their beautifully made-up classmates before boarding the buses and leaving the campus.

Through the stress of ensuring picture perfectness at prom, girls were satisfied and content with the memories made.

“Getting ready was half the fun,” Maheshwari said. “From putting on makeup and doing hair with just a couple of friends to taking pictures with dozens of people, it’s fantastic to be able to spend a night free of the stress pent up from junior year.”