Blossoms bloom, April showers rain down, and everyone stresses about the end of the semester.  It is springtime at Etowah, so students not only stress about bringing up grades, but also about planning the perfect prom. Most people do not realize the effort that goes into organizing prom plans until faced with doing it themselves. 

“This is my first year going through the prom development, and never would I have thought it was this stressful, but in the end, it’ll all be fun and worth it,” Sarah Mahoney, sophomore, said. 

After everyone figures out who is a part of their prom group, they start the decision-making process. This includes a location for pictures, a place to eat, a site for the after party, and a transportation plan for the night. Typically, the larger the group, the more difficult it is for everyone to agree.   

“Prom chaos is in the air, but hopefully it will turn out to be a successful event and one of the most special nights even though it can be stressful,” Zoey Zucker, junior, said. 

If people are not happy with the plans, they tend to leave the group and join another one. When this happens, reservations are ruined sometimes causing even more people leave the group in search of a new one which means the process begins anew. Everyone starts to worry, and each day seems to fly by faster than the one before it.  Suddenly, it is the week before prom.  

“Prom plans can lead to people dissing the group and joining another one, so it can be a tiring time to get everything done,” Zack Nunez, junior, said. 

Eventually nobody cares about the night anymore, so one person takes over.  That person finalizes the plans, informs the group, explains expenses, and shares the schedule.  Although not every group member is happy with all the decisions, it is too late to change anything.  Five days before the big night, it is time to suck it up, and go with the flow.  

“The planning of prom is hard trying to compromise dinner, times, and pictures, but in the end, it’s all worth it because the actual night is so fun,” Caroline Booth, senior, said. 

Are prom groups worth the hassle? While it may be fun to go with friends, conflicts and disagreements will always arise when dealing with large groups of people–friends or not.  Enjoy the night; make memories, and most of all, have fun.  You are at prom!