If you attended Ascension prom this previous weekend, you may have noticed the increased price of admission, and like myself, you may have been the slightest bit annoyed by it. Then again, you may have noticed this inflation and really just didn’t care. But for those of you who may be hearing about this for the first time, here’s the deal: last year, an individual prom ticket cost $15 if purchased ahead of time, and $20 if purchased at the door. This year, the cost of an individual ticket rose to $25 if purchased ahead of time, and $30 if purchased at the door; a $10 increase. Now, you may be thinking, “So what? $10 honestly doesn’t make much of a difference, and compared to the prices of some other schools’ prom tickets, $25-$30 is still relatively cheap.” However, when you begin to consider all of the other expenses that go into preparing for prom—the dress or tux, shoes, hair, nails, makeup, dinner, flowers, transportation, etc.— the overall price begins to escalate. This begs the question: was the price of attending prom really worth it?

To answer this question effectively and fairly, I found that it was important to consider what your individual prom ticket actually pays for, or in other words, how much bang you getting for your buck.

Venue:

This year, prom took place at the Chandelier Room in Parc Lafayette, a shorter commute for most in comparison to last year’s prom at Le Triomphe’s Clubhouse. The size of the Chandelier Room was also very suitable for the event and made for a perfect fit for the capacity of students present at prom.

Decorations:

The “old Hollywood” theme of prom made for very classy and elegant decorations. Conveniently, the Chandelier Room, adorned with beautiful chandeliers, already has a very sleek look to it, but my favorite detail had to be the large, gold inflatable balloons that spelled out Hollywood. You can never go wrong with some balloon deco & this statement piece seemed to add the perfect touch.

Hors d’oeuvres:

Prom featured some exceptionally delicious hors d’oeuvres this year, which last year’s prom did not provide. The finger food featured mini hot dogs and beignet fries, which senior, Bryn Daneshfar claims were her favorite. “They were the perfect amount of sweetness and made for the best mid-dance energy booster,” she told the Authored Ascension.

Logistics:

One of the arguably foremost improvements was the size of the dance floor. “There was so much more room to dance at the Chandelier Room! I would pay an extra $10 for more space to bust a move any day,” says Hannah Dees, senior. The photo booth also turned out to be a great idea, and it seemed to be occupied almost 100% of the time.

Music:

This year, the DJ did a pretty good job at making sure to play some of the best jams (a.k.a. “Mr. Brightside” by the Killers and “Kiss Me Thru the Phone” by Soulja Boy). Senior, Jacob Anderson explained “the music was decent, I think the DJ should have been allowed to play dirty songs though.” But for a high school dance, the music was pretty satisfactory.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I have only seemed to gather positive responses to this year’s prom. Significant revisions were made from last year’s event, and the $10 prom ticket increase appeared to bring about impressive upgrades. When I asked Maddie Blackstone, senior at Ascension, if the price of attending prom was worth it, she said “of course it was… I would have paid $500 to go to my last prom and make incredible memories with my best friends.” As far as I can tell, prom is an experience that every high schooler should have, and it is a beautiful milestone in a person’s life. Sure, prom expenses might put a dent in your wallet, but at the end of the day, all you will really remember is the excitement, fun, and emotional sentiment. So, was the price of attending prom really worth it? My answer is HECK YES.