³Sally wants Tommy to ask her, but Tommy asked Sheila--who¹s
already going with Sam, but would rather go with John--who¹s taking Janet...ya¹
know...just as friends, and Steve is taking Molly, and Fred is going with
MarieŠ²
Sound familiar? Walk down the halls of Marian in late
September and it is what you are bound to hear: Homecoming gossip.
For most Marian students, these rituals called formal dances are
held three times a year: Homecoming, Christmas Dance, and, the big daddy of them
all, Prom. Not familiar with these rituals? Let¹s do a quick
run-down:
About a month before the ³big date² the incessant jabbering
begins: who¹s taking whom, what they are wearing, how their hair will look,
etc. Every little detail is scrutinized and can be recalled to captivated
audiences in about one breath.
Next we have the pictures. First there are the ³getting
ready² action shots, and every once in a while you will find the photos taken
strictly of the back of a girl¹s head to capture the magnitude of the
hairdo.
Then begins the awkward parent pictures. As your date comes
to pick you up, he is followed by his ³pretend-I¹m-not-here² mom, taking
pictures of his every step. I could understand her excitement in seeing
her little boy all grown up, but there is no need for parental paparazzi.
Next, you are usually whisked away to a nice dinner. This
isn¹t always the most comfortable date since you are both dressed in your
formal attire and trying your hardest not to get food on your perfect
clothes. (fashion note: sequins do not go well with spaghetti sauce
splatters.)
After all of this, there is, of course, the dance, not to be
forgotten in the midst of all the pre-dance rituals. This is the
best part of the night‹all of that primping and perfecting is immediately
forgotten as girls throw off their shoes and any other accoutrements not
suitable for movement and hit the dance floor. Compared to the weeks of
preparation, the dance flies by, and people usually head off to some sort of
post-dance gathering.
I
know I may sound like a bitter girl who has been traumatized by a bad date in
the past, but this is not so. I actually like these get-togethers, and
have been known to do a pretty mean Cha-Cha Slide.
Throughout the years, these dances have been so blown out of
proportion that it seems like it is the end of the world if you are not asked
to one. These dances are meant to be fun, but very often, girls get hurt
if they are not asked. Also, it just does not seem logical to spend so
much money and time on just one night.
Don¹t worry girls, there are still ways you can enjoy a formal
dance.
My first
suggestion: do not participate in the pre-dance gossip. While it is okay
to casually mention it or inquire of someone else¹s plans, try to keep this to
a minimum. All the talk builds this relatively small event into something
way bigger than it needs to be. In addition, it may hurt a girl nearby
who does not get to go.
My next suggestion for a fun evening is to try to spend as little
money as possible. Skip the expensive stores and buy your dress at a Good
Will, or maybe even borrow from someone your size. That way your dress
will get more us; what¹s the point of buying something to only wear it
once? And don¹t forget to spread the wealth. Let your friends
borrow dresses you have worn in the past.
Another money-saving technique is to do your own hair, and skip
the fancy manicures‹are people really going to be staring at your hands? You¹ll be looking so gorgeous in
your nice dress some plain nail polish will have the same effect as an
expensive manicure. If you¹re feeling really handy, why not make dinner,
too?
As for the pictures, it is hard to deal with insistent parents, so
there is not much you can do about it but grin and bear it (literally).
Just try telling your parents that maybe two or three pictures is enough.
My last suggestion is easy: have fun. Most people don¹t
realize it, but this is the very reason these dances are planned in the first
place.
Dances are one of the few times that you can go completely crazy
and nobody will try to stop you‹well, for the most part. Take advantage
of this freedom, and as the saying goes: dance as though nobody is watching
you. I guarantee, it makes the night well worth it.
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