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April 24th, 2008
07:16 PM ET
The Price of Prom
I remember that prom night wasn't really cheap for anybody. What I saved on renting a tux went to pay for dinner and my date's corsage; what she saved from working all winter went to pay for her dress. In my opinion, it's not something you absolutely must go to – the longer I've been out of school, the less it has mattered that I went to prom. But I hate the thought of someone not being able to go because he or she couldn't afford to.
That's what made Friday's report on free prom dresses really stand out. It showed how a good idea to help someone can expand to a major cause. We'd love to know what you thought of it and what you think of prom in general.
Carl Azuz, Anchor
I agree going to prom isnt everything. The memories you make are more important regardless of the money you spend going.
My class enjoys CNN student news almost everyday. I think that they like you better than me!
Prom: "Some prices are riduculous!" "Lots of peer pressure to spend alot of $$ for one night."
CARL AZUZ I agree my sisters prom was very expensive also i love you on youtube dancing
my dad went to prom so wat was your prom like i bet it was very fun..
I agree that prom has become astronomically expensive. 100 for tickets, 130 for a tux, 50 for flowers, depending on your dates dress it could cost her up to 2 – 300 dollars. That comes to a grand total of about 4 – 500 dollars. I would deffinitley say its on the expensive side. Free prom dresses or using a older sister or friends is deffinitely a good idea. Seeing someone not go to prom becuase they can not afford it should not be a case at all. Everyone who wants to go should be able to go, and the proms should be more reasonably priced.
In my high school we had the option of having our prom virtually free and it was very local. However, our class took up the option of going to an extremely expensive place in Philadelphia, which is nice, but is not worth the money for the memories in my opinion. Also, this has made us pay for a party bus to escort my friends and I to the prom vs. if we had just had the prom local, we could have just drove ourselves. So basically we picked an expensive place and an expensive bus when we could have gone for free and drove around the corner. I do think we should be more conscious of our spending, evaluate all options first, and make the right decisions next time!
I think the whole idea that you have to spend all this money just for one night ot go dance is rediculous. Some girls spend over 600 dollars on dresses. I dont and never will get why they feel the need to spend so much. To me it is just a dance. OUr senior prom is coming up. I know it will be fun but I don't feel that it is neccesary to spend so much money. The tickets, the tux, and the limo are expensive itself. I feel like I am spending more money than I ever have in one night. You go to have fun, dance, and hangout with your classmates one last time before you go off to college. But to some people, mostly girls, it is all about looking there best and spending the most money to get the best they can buy to look better than all the rest.
I think that proms these days have been rediculously overpriced and way too expensive. It's costing almost $200 a person, between rentals and flowers and tickets. Its rediculous. It's just a dance, all you do there is eat a meal, that can't really be called a meal and then you dance for the rest of the time. Is it really worth $100? You would make the same memories at an expensive dance as you would at a dance for free. I think something should be done about these prices.
Prom is over-rated. It's meant to have fun, society today puts more and more pressure on teens to have to look and have the best of everything. Memories should be more important than what you wear or who you go with.
I think this is a cute idea that could help alot of girls on prom night, so they don't have to worry about expenses on dresses.
I'm not going to mine because I don't really see the point of paying 50 dollars of my hard earned money on a single ticket so I can sit on a boat in the Puget Sound for 3 hours and watch couples dance while I sit quietly off to the side by myself.
I think that proms can either be a waste of time and money, or a way to meet new friends. The free dresses that she is giving are a great idea. I wish more people could be like her and donate their things that they don't use that often.
I wish the prom was a shin-dig where people wear jeans and t-shirts. Why does it have to be some stupid Cinderella fairy tale with $1000 gowns, stretch limos, $100 dinners, and rented tuxes. Even weddings are getting out of hand these days. A prom is a dance, and I think schools may want to think about changing the dress code to more casual atire to put an end to this gluttonous spending.
the good thing about random breath test is that the kids are probably not going to drink because of it
This is the nicest thing i have ever heard. its soooo nice that people are doing this. Prom is a very big memory in someones life. My mom to this day remembers everything that happened at her prom. I would like to feel the same way and so would all the kids that are being helped.:]
I think giving out free prom dresses for those who can't afford is a good idea, because prom is something that a lot of girls look forward too, and I don't think the fun and excitement of having fun with your friends and feeling beautiful in a dress should be limited only to those who can pay the price.
I think gving out free prom dresses for those who cant afford is a good idea, because prom is something that a lot of girls look forward to and mostly eveybody goes to prom looking really nice and i feel sorry for the girls who do't have as much money as others and who don't look as good as all the rest of the people. It's just a really good idea.
I think that prom is very expensive and when students are getting ready for prom people should lower their prices, becuase 1000$ for a dres is rediculous
i think that its fair on what they are doing because if u havent drinked than you have nothing to worry aboute it so i think its smart
I think that the school people made the correct choice to test the kids and see if they have been doing drugs. Many times when they don't check the kids prom nights get very outt of hand. Well i think that you should have better "before we go" news....thx
Ana Bun
Prom is really expensive! I have two older sisters, Melanie and Mia. Mia went to her senior prom in this really pretty yellow dress, and then a year later, Melanie wore the same one! It really wasn't a big deal, and it saved a ton of money! She used the money she saved to help the boys pay for dinner.
I think when it comes to prom people always want the nicest things. Well some of that stuff tends to be a little pricy. My friend's sister just went to senior prom and she got her hair, nails, nad even her toe mails done. Not to mention the cost of the dress and the accessories and of courese the pictures. A she is only a sophmore!! She still has 2 more years of it!!
Prom is just another reason to party to me so why buy the most expencive things and risk breaknig or tearing something. now that would be stupid. go cheap and party hard.
I think prom is the most important event in all of high school because you are spending your last days with your class until you all head out for the real world. Prom is magical and its the dreamest day of high school in your life.(no matrter how much the cost)
prom is to expensive is to high it makes me very very very angry
Carl, why did you pay for your dates dress? That seems like an expence that didn't need to be paid by you.
P.S. My class is a big fan of you
Prom isn't the best day of High School. Your graduation should mean ALOT more than prom
I think when it comes to prom people always want the nicest things. Well some of that stuff tends to be a little pricy. My friend’s sister just went to senior prom and she got her hair, nails, nad even her toe mails done. Not to mention the cost of the dress and the accessories and of courese the pictures. A she is only a sophmore!! She still has 2 more years of it!!
I agree that the amount of money used in prom nights are quite stunning...-_-
Athough proms are very memorable and you can get all dressed up and have the time of your LIFE, I really don't think that you should spend the money you've been saving on one night...
I agree with the peer pressure idea. Peer pressure pushes girls to get the better dress, the better shoes, the better purse, the better date. Why??? I agree w/ Lesley. Graduation is more important than prom. Graduation is 'the start of something new.' (Sorry, had to quote Troy and Gabriella.) If I will have to give up prom for something ultimately more important, so be it.