Prom, short for promenade, is a tradition that can be traced back to the late 1800s and the early 1900s. Prom is a party for graduating classes to celebrate being young, while also celebrating growing up and becoming adults, according to Time.

“The prom is a right of passage for students, especially seniors.  It is a night in which a student feels more like an adult, getting the chance to have a fancy ‘night on the town.’ For seniors it is the first event that will start their final month in high school,” said Scott Maxwell, math teacher.

The history of prom started out as a college celebration for the graduating class. As teenage culture expanded, the prom tradition spread to high school students by the 1940s. Prom in the early days was meant for young people could be treated like adults, dress up in fancy clothes, and vote for prom king and queen, as well as other class titles, like ‘best couple’ or ‘best hair.’

“Athens Drive will vote for Prom King for senior boys, Prom Queen for senior girls, and then Prince and Princess for the Juniors. You can nominate yourself or others by putting your name on the posters in the senior hall. Further voting dates are to be determined and the winners will be announced on Prom Night,” said Sydney Schupp, junior class president.

The early traditional party for upperclassmen was called the “tea dance” and students would be required to wear their “Sunday clothes” according to “History of Water Filters.” In the 1920s and 1930s, attire for prom grew more formal.

“Ladies wear dresses or gowns and men wear suits or a formal button up and dress pants. People should dress formally in order to make the experience feel special. We [prom committee] want people to feel like this is a night where they can dress up as nicely as they please. It is a moment many people look forward to and we ask that everyone dresses their best in order to maintain that special feeling,” said Schupp.

The prom for high school upperclassmen would be hosted in school gymnasiums until the postwar period of the 1950s. More leisure time was available to plan the event in larger, more extravagant venues, like hotels and mansions. President Ford’s daughter hosted her prom in the White House in 1975.

“I did attend my Junior and Senior year prom.  Both proms a group of my friends went out to dinner then headed to the Shriner’s Club in Raleigh for the dance.  The themes were ‘Titanic: A Night At Sea’  and ‘New York New York,’” said Maxwell.

According to “About Style”, the first step to making the prom an amazing experience for students is to make a budget.

“The budget is not unlimited, but there is a certain limit we prefer not to pass. However, with that being said it has not prohibited any of our creative ideas. So far we have been able to put all of our ideas to the test,” said Schupp.

According to the website “About Style”, the prom planning team should research their venue and decide on whether or not to host the party outside or indoors, then book the venue in advance.

“The venue is The Sheraton Hotel in downtown Raleigh, the same place Athens has held it previous years. The location is ideal and they have a lot of services and space to offer,” said Schupp.

After choosing an appropriate venue, “About Style” suggests to find a theme that relates to classmates, and that the planning team makes a vote on it. Then a band or DJ should be selected based on the party’s theme.

“This year’s theme is “Night Under the Boardwalk.” As we [the prom committee] were envisioning our ideas we knew we wanted to do an elevated carnival theme. This led us to Coney Island, which is a carnival located in Brooklyn, NY on a boardwalk overlooking the water. So we titled our Prom using that as inspiration,” said Schupp.

Having a theme and appropriate venue, “About Style” suggests that food be chosen which relate to the theme and atmosphere of the venue. The service of the food should either be a sit down or a buffet with familiar foods that relate to classmates.

Athens will have carnival based foods to support its theme.

“There will be a popcorn machine, hot dogs, fresh cotton candy, cupcakes, giant lollipops, and some other basic main dishes. Our goal was to have foods similar to what you would see at a carnival,” said Shupp.

Prom has been a part of growing up since the early 1900s as it has taken a part in teenage culture. Now, prom is a popular theme in literature and film, showcasing that you can go “stag” or with a group.

“Prom is an opportunity for young adults to do something really special during their high school experience. Any junior or senior can attend, whether it be with a date or just with friends. It’s a great chance to enjoy yourself for one night,” said Schupp.