Was the Seniors’ prom dress Facebook page a problem?

YES– Senior prom, the most anticipated event of high school, has dawned on the U Prep community. Anticipation brings both excitement and drama to people participating, evident by the senior prom dress Facebook page. Don’t get me wrong; I like obsessing over prom dresses as much as anyone, but I take issue with how the prom dress group was presented this year to me and the other senior girls.

On the page, the purpose of the group is stated to “post pictures of their prom dresses to prevent any cat fights on the night of because two people are wearing the same dress”, which creates a culture of competition between women to look unique, and generally, stand out so men can find them appealing. The use of the word catfight does not promote a culture of acceptance between seniors, women I admire for their dedication and passion.

People want to be original in what they wear, at a dance or in general, but this year it seems like it’s an even larger violation of U Prep social norms to wear a dress that’s even remotely similar to a dress that another person posted. Wearing a unique, dress is all well and good, but the unwritten social norm of not being able to wear the same dress as someone else has to change in order for U Prep to uphold its values of inclusivity at school events.

This group specifically benefits skinny girls, the majority of the U Prep population, because it alerts them of already taken dresses. It excludes me, someone larger than everyone, because I can’t buy any of the dresses that my friends posted. If I posted my prom dress in the group, it would be counterproductive to the group’s goal of being able to see everyone’s dresses to know which ones were taken, because no one will buy the same dress as me because of its size.

Senior prom is meant to be a celebration of finishing our last year and a final time that the majority of us will spend time together before we graduate. I want to have as much fun as possible, but in order for everyone to feel included, the culture surrounding dances and dresses has to change.

BY: Jo Nordhoff-Beard

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NO– For some, Senior Prom is the social capstone of the high school experience. The anticipation that leads up to the big event is both incredibly exciting and stressful. Prom becomes more of a social gathering rather than a dance, due to its formality. The demands everyone must meet are painstakingly high, for both girls and boys, though they may be in different ways. For girls, one of the biggest questions Prom poses is “what dress do I wear?” As the shopping begins, curiosity arises. When I got a Facebook notification that I was added to a Senior Prom Dress group, I became a bit more relieved. I could now get some inspiration from the other girls.

From those that I’ve talked to, everyone has found it really entertaining to see what other girls are going to wear. It’s less about competition and more about being excited and supportive of each other. I see the purpose of the Facebook group as a way for the senior girls to share with each other, rather than red flag every time a girl posts their dress. All the comments have been incredibly positive and each dress has been showered with likes.

I’d like to think that we’re past competition when it comes to looking good at a dance, but that’s just not in human nature. Some people think that we dress to look good for boys, but that’s not even remotely the case. There are numerous motivating factors to looking good at a dance, but as I’ve talked to girls about their dresses, the biggest motivator has been self-confidence.

The bottom line is that showing up in the same dress can be awkward at first, but it’s not going to ruin your night [at the Ruins].

By: Anna Letson