- Jun 2, 2022
- 3 min read

Wishing upperclassmen “Bon Voyage” at the school’s Prom

By Claire Pham June 2, 2022

As the end of the school year draws near, upperclassmen commemorated their last years with the event known as prom. Short for promenade, prom is an annual banquet for juniors and seniors to celebrate their school career in vogue, typically with a date. Prom presumably emerged from high society debutante balls and was intended to be the first formally-dressed event for high school students. Since the initial prom in 1928, the event has evolved drastically. Besides the late-night dancing, thrilling promposals, and crazed after-parties, each senior class incorporates their own teenage culture through the themes, music and fashion.

This year, the theme for the 2022 Prom was Midnight in Paris. Students dressed in sleek silhouettes and sophisticated suits as the French-themed fête transpired. Hand in hand, students entered Levi’s Stadium, the venue for the event. Within the clusters of students were established pairs, many sporting matching outfits and enjoying prom together.

Traditionally, one student proposes to another to be their prom date—thus, Journalist Zosia Bielski coined the term promposal, a playful reference to marriage proposals. First popularized in the 2000s, promposing is a relatively new custom that has been invigorated with the surge of social media. Presenting potential dates with posters and flowers has become a long-established strategy; however, students have also developed promposal methods such as staging a surprise promposal in their date’s home or asking online.

“My date and I reached out to each other first and then he formally asked me with a poster and flowers. I think it is special to go with a date to create unforgettable memories at prom! It is also fun to go with friends and just have a good time,” Senior Krystal Montgomery said.

Though promposals are meant to be charming, certain promposals can pose a social issue. Public promposals are widely popular among students, where the proposal is surrounded by invested viewers. The burden of spectators can pressure the respondent to accept the proposal whether they had planned to or not.

“There may be some who feel uncomfortable with a public promposal, but if one knows what their potential date prefers, promposals can be a fun leap of faith!” Senior Nethra Srinivasan said.

Just as some promposals may be stress-inducing, lacking a date can also be pressuring. Through the media, the authentic prom experience is depicted as a night of partnership. Although some students are willing to attend prom with friends, others fear ostracism by students with dates. However, according to YouGov, an average of 49% of America’s prom attendees do not bring a partner, providing proof that the authenticity of prom is not threatened by an absence of a date.

“Teen films glamorize prom with a prerequisite of having a date, but getting to hang out with loved ones, platonically or romantically, makes the experience memorable. My group of friends and I, as single girls, did not feel pressure from our other friends who had dates – we just enjoyed our time together!” Srinivasan said.

In charge of the night was a team of student leaders. Under the management of the event chairs—Seniors Jacob Kuverji, Sarah Satchell, Allie Francisco and Yacoub Ajlouni—the Associated Student Body (ASB) spent four months and $2,000 preparing for the event. Compared to other ASB events such as Powder Puff or Homecoming, Prom had higher participation.

Overall, the School Prom garnered positive reviews. However, there were still a few complaints. For instance, some students were disappointed with the DJ. However, the venue and presence of Sourdough Sam, the mascot of the San Francisco 49ers, impressed most students.

“I was not expecting much so I was definitely not disappointed. The interior looked nice. The food was as expected—not amazing, but not bad.” Junior Katy Touretsky said.

Through all the rough and radiant moments, the Senior Class united to honor the years they spent together; ends and new beginnings all acknowledged within a special, cherishable night.

About the Contributors

Claire Pham

media editor/ staff writer

Claire Pham is a Leland sophomore. She is currently a part of the media team in Advanced Journalism. She enjoys watching new shows, hanging out with friends, and listening to different types of music.