The Grande Finale
By Loan Kim Ly

After weeks of waiting and fussing over hair and wear, the much anticipated prom day has arrived. For the anti-prom goers, who probably decided to go thanks to the persuasion of their peers, the morning of prom holds little or no excitement. Having to wake up early on a Saturday just to get ready poses no thrills. Now, on the other hand, those of us who are excited about the big night tend to be either worried, or cool and energetic.

The members of each sex have different schedules and must go through different regimens to look their best and make it a night to remember. Fun and memories are the actual priorities, whereas the whole sex factor—most prom nights, after all, end in hotel rooms—has become so over-worked that it doesn’t pose a threat or cause pressure.

What Girls Face …

The fundamentals of the appearance factor consist of four components: hair, nails, make-up, and how the dress fits. Girls choose to do their hair and nails at shops, or they get it done by friends or do it themselves.

You wake up early for once, and you’re pumped to get ready. Throwing off the heavy blanket and adjusting to the sunlight sifting through your lace curtain, you can’t stop thinking about all the things you must do. Luckily, your nails are already done—you don’t regret having to wait for two hours in the shop along with all the other last minute manicures and pedicures. After taking care of your daily routine of personal hygiene, your next stop is the hair salon. Upon your arrival at stores with names like “Sally’s Hair and Nails” or “Studio 35”, you grab a magazine and become lost in the crowd of other girls who sit in plastic chairs with their issues of Vogue and Mademoiselle against the wall. You’re called to the next empty chair. At around 4:45, you’re hair is done and you wonder why you paid so much money for what your friend calls “a overrated Afro.” Shaking your head as you look at your wristwatch you see that you are late to meet your date. Rushing home, you feel the pressures of prom night once again.

What Guys Face …

The main word you hear from guys pre-prom is “pick-up, pick-up, pick-up.”

It’s not bad enough that you have to wear a penguin suit the entire night, but perhaps even worse, you must act the role of a tuxedo-clad dandy. You wake up knowing that you will have to play chauffeur and delivery boy. As you visualize your checklist of things to do, the phone rings and it’s your date. After questions have been answered and times and places to pick her up have been double-checked, the conversation ends. Knowing that girls will inevitably be late, you decide to proceed with the day’s mundane activities.

The End of a Chapter

Although my prom day was not as hectic, it also involved a lot of waiting around, lagging, and last minute problems. Since I did my nails ahead of time and decided to go easy on the make-up and hair, I was able to spend the day at home. In fact, the only time I had to leave the house was when I picked up my date’s boutonniere.

I was bored most of the day but around 3 o’clock I felt the rush. First of all, my cousin had borrowed my curling iron and I was out of mousse. Then I found that all my friends were stuck in the shop, which meant they would be late. And lastly, the boutonniere looked nothing like the picture but instead resembled a rose on steroids surrounded by some leaves.

After retrieving my curling iron, I rushed to do my hair (which completely straightened two hours into the evening). Everybody finally arrived at my house at 6:30 p.m., which was the time we were supposed to be at the hotel. We plastered on smiles and tried to make the best of it. Lo and behold, I went to put on my dress it was still too big. Luckily one of my friends had duct tape and through teeth clenching and muffled screams, my friends taped my dress to my body. We were off and on our way. Not so fast. Halfway to the hotel, I realized that I forgot our tickets. Finally, at about 7:30 p.m., we arrived fashionably late along with all the other couples.

There were more problems, though. First off, the line for pictures was disorganized and long. The photographers were irritable and shouting out orders like drill sergeants. People were scrambling about trying to collect money for pictures. Others had trouble just finding their dates. When I heard one of my favorite songs being played, I asked a friend to keep my place in line for pictures. And I rushed to the dance floor.

The night started off slow. But after dining on rubber chicken and hard rice and finally getting photographed, it whizzed by. Toward the end of the night, the DJ began playing slow songs and the air filled with sentimental good-byes and farewells. Although I wished I could have stayed for the last song, my date wanted to leave early because most of our friends had gone.

The odd thing about it was that despite the pocket emptying, running around, and anxiety attacks, the night was worth all the fuss. After all, you’re only a high school senior once in your life.