From promposals to dress shopping to dinner reservations, seniors on campus have been preparing for what many consider to be one of the biggest nights of their lives: prom, which is set to take place on Saturday from 8-11 p.m. at the W Hotel in Dallas. 

For senior Anna Lyon, planning for prom began with dress shopping back earlier in the year in order to lessen the stress of searching for the right outfit and cost.    

“I really wanted to start early for everything for prom. I feel like when you spend the money earlier it seems almost free during prom week,” Lyon said. “I got my dress online in late February after starting dress shopping in December as I wanted to start early to give time for returns to process. I also have been setting money aside, like pocket change and extra dollars, to be used for my nails this week. But, I am doing my own hair and makeup, and found shoes and jewelry a month ago, so it all seems free in a way.”

With her dress and plans set for the night, Lyon cannot be more excited about prom as she is looking forward to dressing up and experiencing a moment commonly seen in movies.

“I am so excited for prom because I feel like it’s the one thing everyone looks forward to in high school, kind of like in the movies how everyone cannot wait for prom,” Lyon said. “I think prom is different because it is way more formal with long dresses and bow ties and suits, and I think it’s nice to have a change from short dresses.”

Similarly, senior Sherry Hu is ecstatic to spend time with friends and do activities that she does not often do on a daily basis, especially before she goes off to college.

“I’m super excited for prom. I feel like it’s one of those things that I’ve been looking forward to forever, especially because you typically only get to go to prom once at the end of high school,” Hu said. “I’m looking forward to seeing all my friends dressed up, taking pictures, and going out to eat at a nice restaurant.”

With prom being one of the last events for seniors on campus, the event symbolizes more than a normal homecoming dance as it signifies the end of high school before students leave for college.

“I think prom signifies more than homecoming,” senior Riya Khosla said. “While homecoming is simply a school dance, prom is more a symbol for the end of four years in high school. Because of that, I feel it holds greater meaning for a lot of students.”