Multicolored lights flashing overhead as the mosh pit fises and falls to the beats of the latest Drake song. Across the room, a sea of sparkling dresses and fitted tuxedoes surround a buffet of burgers, salads, and appetizers as another group scoops ice cream into bowls that look like glass shells. Who does not want to be part of this world?

On April 15, 2023 the upperclassmen will be dancing the night away at prom. But why the limitation to only upperclassmen? Why can sophomores only attend if promposed to? Why can’t freshmen join in the fun as well?

Indeed, freshman should be welcomed at prom.

Mr. Kevin Jacobson, the dean of the high school, says, “For juniors and seniors and its designed for the end of the year because it is a right of passage for college or going into senior year. We, the administrators, look at it differently then homecoming, because prom is traditional for upperclassmen.” Freshman are not allowed because they have to deserve their time at this dance and have to prove that they are welcomed.

Freshmen friends

It is important to have friends from all grade levels, including upperclassmen and underclassmen being friends. Olivia Martinez, a senior says, “I met underclassmen through cheerleading and seeing them through out the day and watching them grow up through the year or two I have known them is such a great experience and I like helping them as much as I can.” Prom is an experience that all friends should experience together, does not matter what grade.

Make memories

Taking photos, making tik toks, and getting ready together are all ways of making memories before and during prom. Freshman should be allowed to make those memories during prom, because when they are allowed to go to prom, their senior friends won’t be there anymore with them. Marlee Schwab, a freshman says, “Homecoming was so much fun being able to hang out with my friends from all grades. I would love to be able to have another dance with my senior friends.”

Prom is about community and freshmen are part of that community

High school is an experience to find yourself with different people and environments. The high school community helps you with that, and going to prom is another experience for freshman. They should be exposed to it earlier and it would give them more options to be able to be open to more things.

Freshmen could learn from upper classmen model behavior and could model for seniors a reminder of how they used to be (innocent and goofy)

The upperclassmen are role models to the freshman and going to prom shows the freshman how they should act outside of school in other settings. The freshman are also examples to the upperclassmen, them being younger reminds the upperclassmen on how they used to be and how innocent they were.

More people= lower cost

Having more people go means more people will pay. It will cost less money for the people to pay to be able to go and then there could be better decorations, food, and overall experience for everyone to enjoy prom better.

More opportunities for dates (esp for juniors)

Freshman going means wider variety for dates, because of class repeats, sophmores going and more friends going. If you do not have a date for prom and want to go with a friend, you can go with your teammate or classmate that is a freshman. Also, sophomores can ask their younger friends, so they do not have to depend on older peers.

Make afterparty feel more exclusive since freshmen wouldn’t be there (so it won’t just feel like prom 2.0)

It would make the after party feel more exclusive and different than prom. Since freshman are so young and they are not allowed to go out yet, the after party will just be for upperclassmen and not feel like a second prom. It will be more fun for upperclassmen to go to the after party and would make people want to go

Freshman should be welcomed to prom to experience it, make memories, and help lower the cost of it. They are apart of the high school community and should be welcomed to every opportunity that comes their way.