Prom weekend is just as important as prom, right?

I think so.

Traditionally, most schools hold prom on a Saturday, Solon included. But what if prom were on Friday?

Prom weekend consists of after prom which is followed by some people going to Cedar Point or Kalahari. Or some people go out to parties and out to eat. It just depends on the social group you associate yourself with.

Prom would be better off on a Friday because the students will have more time to hang out with friends and let loose rather than only one day of having fun after the actual prom.

Prom weekend is what counts. You have after prom and the traditional Cedar Point trip. I mean we deserve it. 12 years of high school is a lot. Years of continuous school work.Test after test even three tests in one day sometimes. Talk about anxiety. This is one of the most fun events school will ever put together other than graduation. Plus, this is the one weekend that you spend with all of your class. After that weekend you can never get that back, except for the reunion which is 10 years away.

Currently, we have only one day to make more memories before we part ways, which isn’t a lot of time. If prom was moved to a Friday we could have more time to make plans and be adventurous.

Erin Short, the principal of Solon High School (SHS), said the change to a Friday is not impossible.

“There would have to be a significant stress about the topic from students and parents to potentially move prom to a Friday instead of being traditionally on a Saturday,” Short said.

She also explained that the date of prom is discussed a year in advance. The administration committee decides the dates, weekends off, etc.

Since there’s a lot of planning that goes into prom (scheduling renovations, decorations, food and more) there would need to be extensive effort for a switch to occur. Both interviewees said that reserving a venue on a Friday is hard because they have have a set amount they can spend and also the location has to be close, and people who want to renovate it on Friday’s usually are willing to pay a big amount.

Camille Keys, an English teacher here at SHS and the former Prom Advisor for 29 years, believes prom wouldn’t be fit to be on a Friday.

She stated that she was open to new ideas when she was the advisor but there weren’t any possible ways for prom to be moved to Friday without causing problems. But she stressed how Friday wasn’t exactly the best fit for prom due to pre-scheduling and classes.

Keys also talked about how it would be hard to find venues on Friday to host a big enough group and also how Friday could possibly interfere with AP classes.

“Saturdays are traditionally for prom because the venues are easier to book Saturdays and not get in the way of other events happening because they’re really busy on fridays,” Keys said.

Don’t get me wrong, those are all good points, but I’m not worried about the education piece and venues, one day of not being at school won’t hurt. The weekend is what matters. If it’s a matter of missing test I’m sure students will come in and take the test and leave afterwards, to try to stay somewhat on track.

“The seniors could possibly adjust their schedules for senior project to have more fun on prom weekend,” said Short.

Meaning “adjust schedules” by the students talking to their onsight sponsor if they could not go to the project on that following Monday.

That obligation isn’t fair. It’s either no long weekend, or jeopardize your senior project, a project SHS seniors go on to help them in their career paths, but that’s some ultimatum.

Administration should take some time and review the possible dates and reasoning of prom. Prom is about making everyone feel special. It should be one of the happiest nights of your life as well as prom weekend. Why make students choose between two things they have interest in?

SHS senior Nolan McNamara also feels that prom would be better off on a Friday.

“I believe that prom should be moved to Friday,” McNamara said. “It’ll give the students time to recuperate from the intriguing weekend and also get back into the swing of things for Monday.”

Ultimately, the real goal is to have a longer weekend because prom weekend is just as important as prom night. It’s what you make of it. Those memories are with you forever. The longer the weekend, the more time you have to make memories and that’s the underlying meaning for all of this. To make prom weekend one that no one will forget, the kind of memories that you tell your future kids.This experience should be lasting and impressionable.

Prom are for Friday’s.

“Prom weekend is what holds the memories,” McNamara said.