Prom season in the wings at MCAA

For some, five weeks may seem like an eternity, and for others, five weeks can slip by without as much as a warning. But it's true, Marysville Charter Academy for the Arts' senior and junior prom is just a mere five weeks away. And students from both classes seem have a mixed emotions concerning the dance.

The theme that has been decided by the prom committee is vintage Hollywood. Decorations will consist of mainly black and white. Mock-Oscars will be given to best-dressed individuals. It will be like "taking a step back in time" to the 1920s and the beginning of the movie-making industry, according to Courtney Hardesty, a senior and a member of the committee.

There also seems to be a general consensus among the girls of both senior and junior classes that they are looking forward to their dresses. Some students are sewing their own while others are paying top-dollar for floor-length ball gowns.

Prom is "a night to have fun with your friends and get dolled up," Courtney said. MCAA has always been a close-knit community. Everyone has a similar interest: the arts. This brings us together unlike any other school. Our prom is no different. Maria Gasque, another senior, described it as "just a chance to be together" before the senior class goes their separate ways.

To many, prom is not just about being with friends, enjoying the music and the dancing. This one night has been important to high-school students all over the country. Senior prom is the "last dance," as Maria put it.

Stephan Fuhrer, another senior, explains his own opinion: "It's one of those things that I don't want to look back on and go, 'Yeah, I never went to prom,' and always wonder what I missed."

Even those who are not typically social are planning to partake in the event. Stephan has not been to many of the other dances since he came to MCAA in seventh grade, so he is determined to attend his senior prom.

Nichole Carr-Roberts, another senior, said that " going to prom is a high school experience, so I should go."

The several juniors who are going are not so enthusiastic. Dustin Lindgren mentioned that he doesn't "necessarily see why it's a big deal. It's just another dance to me."

Most of all, though, everyone agrees that prom is a time for friends and fun. Courtney explained that "most people think of it as a rite of passage," but she disagreed with this idea, saying that socializing and enjoying the music are the most important things.

And finally, prom is " a good way to close the year," said senior Kelsey Cena. For the students at Marysville Charter Academy for the Arts, this is one of the last times that the class of 2011 can spend time together before graduation. "With the right kind of people, it can be fun," Nichole said.

T.J. Scott is a senior at Marysville Charter Academy for the Arts. Her column appears every six weeks in Education.