Prom Empties Wallets: Is It Worth the Cost?
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Kendal Bricky
Writer |
March 7, 2016
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Senior Athena Lor debates whether she should save her money or spend it on Prom tickets. (Photo by Kendal Bricky)
Prom is the biggest event that juniors and seniors have looked forward to since the day they watched a cheesy 90s high school romance movie when they were in grade school. Some people love it, some people hate it, and some people think it’s overrated. Most would agree that prom is a considered to be a memorable experience that everyone should have the luxury of enjoying, so that they have something to look back on when they’re old and reminiscing on pleasant high school experiences. So, what’s the issue? Prom used to be a formal dance traditionally held in the gym that anyone could’ve gone to, but now, there’s a price… literally.
Buhach Colony’s prom this year is going to be on a cruise ship at the San Francisco Bay and the prices are $165 with an ASB sticker, $180 without an ASB sticker, and $190 for a guest pass. Some may agree that the price is reasonable, considering prom’s location, but some students are unhappy with the cost, because Atwater isn’t necessarily a high-income town.
Senior Casey Costello is one of the many students that doesn’t believe that this year’s prom should be so expensive. “It’s just the fact that seniors have other things that they have to use their money for, like graduation stuff. I just don’t see how spending $180 for a single ticket is logical.” he states, which is a pretty reasonable claim. Senior Sabrina Thao agrees, stating that “Prom is only a one-night trip and we aren’t staying overnight. It’s almost $200, that’s not really worth it, in my opinion.”
Although there are staff and students that believe the ticket prices are too much, there are the few devil’s advocates that can justify the reason why. Yearbook teacher Judy Pearce, although agrees that the price is high, can understand that there needs to be assurance. “There has to be insurance coverage and security.” she states. Junior Neal Patel also believes that the ticket prices are reasonable. Patel states that “People have to remember what they are getting. They get prom on a cruise ship, that includes dinner and a ride to and from San Francisco. It is expensive, but you only get to experience this once.”
Speaking from my personal point of view, I believe that the price of Prom this year is pretty logical, considering that it will be held on a cruise ship, and most tickets for that are far more than the $165 to $180 that students will be paying, but there is another thing that needs to be considered; Why is Prom even on a cruise ship? According to the City’s Data, the estimated income per capita in 2013 was $17,592, which is around $1,400 a month, and if people get paid every two weeks, that’s only around $700 a month, which has to go into other costs, like taxes and bills. Atwater residents do not make that much money, so going over the top for such a simple event seems a bit unnecessary. Prom being on a cruise ship isn’t a bad thing at all, it just seems impractical when there are so many other possibilities.
Regardless of what some students and staff believe, the truth of the matter is this: the price is going to be worth it. Prom is going to be held on a beautiful cruise ship in San Francisco, with many other things included, and the purpose of the price is to make sure that it goes perfectly. Yes, the price may be a bit more than some can afford, but it covers everything, and it’s going to make prom amazing. The alternative could be to lower the price drastically and have prom in the gym, but why do that, when you can pay a little extra for a wonderful night to remember? Remember Buhach, it is worth the cost.
Works Cited:
http://www.city-data.com/city/Atwater-California.html
Buhach Colony’s prom this year is going to be on a cruise ship at the San Francisco Bay and the prices are $165 with an ASB sticker, $180 without an ASB sticker, and $190 for a guest pass. Some may agree that the price is reasonable, considering prom’s location, but some students are unhappy with the cost, because Atwater isn’t necessarily a high-income town.
Senior Casey Costello is one of the many students that doesn’t believe that this year’s prom should be so expensive. “It’s just the fact that seniors have other things that they have to use their money for, like graduation stuff. I just don’t see how spending $180 for a single ticket is logical.” he states, which is a pretty reasonable claim. Senior Sabrina Thao agrees, stating that “Prom is only a one-night trip and we aren’t staying overnight. It’s almost $200, that’s not really worth it, in my opinion.”
Although there are staff and students that believe the ticket prices are too much, there are the few devil’s advocates that can justify the reason why. Yearbook teacher Judy Pearce, although agrees that the price is high, can understand that there needs to be assurance. “There has to be insurance coverage and security.” she states. Junior Neal Patel also believes that the ticket prices are reasonable. Patel states that “People have to remember what they are getting. They get prom on a cruise ship, that includes dinner and a ride to and from San Francisco. It is expensive, but you only get to experience this once.”
Speaking from my personal point of view, I believe that the price of Prom this year is pretty logical, considering that it will be held on a cruise ship, and most tickets for that are far more than the $165 to $180 that students will be paying, but there is another thing that needs to be considered; Why is Prom even on a cruise ship? According to the City’s Data, the estimated income per capita in 2013 was $17,592, which is around $1,400 a month, and if people get paid every two weeks, that’s only around $700 a month, which has to go into other costs, like taxes and bills. Atwater residents do not make that much money, so going over the top for such a simple event seems a bit unnecessary. Prom being on a cruise ship isn’t a bad thing at all, it just seems impractical when there are so many other possibilities.
Regardless of what some students and staff believe, the truth of the matter is this: the price is going to be worth it. Prom is going to be held on a beautiful cruise ship in San Francisco, with many other things included, and the purpose of the price is to make sure that it goes perfectly. Yes, the price may be a bit more than some can afford, but it covers everything, and it’s going to make prom amazing. The alternative could be to lower the price drastically and have prom in the gym, but why do that, when you can pay a little extra for a wonderful night to remember? Remember Buhach, it is worth the cost.
Works Cited:
http://www.city-data.com/city/Atwater-California.html
