The Most Memorable Night, Continued
Movies all night (and morning), endless food and candy, chances to win prizes ranging from gift cards to a car- all this and more continued the most memorable night of the year at After-prom.
The Parent Faculty Association, or PFA, organizes After-prom with the primary coordinators being Lisa Rodgers and Vanise Terry, in conjunction with the Roxy theatre in Camarillo.
“I got all the entertainment put together. The Roxy organized which movies were going to be shown, theaters and times. (I) hired the hypnotist, caricature artist, DJ, photo booth. I purchased all the items for the dorm room packages and wrapped all 128+ door prizes,” stated Rodgers.
Adding to the magic of the night, extreme prizes are also given away.
Terry said, “Then there are the grand prizes which is what I help out with the most. The big one being the donated car from Ladin Hyundai Subaru. Other grand prizes included a diamond and pearl necklace from George Thompson, tickets to magic mountain and six flags from Gold Coast broadcasting, etc.”
After-prom has the same admission rules as prom – underclassman and students from other schools are allowed as the date of an upperclassman.
“Only juniors or seniors can buy tickets. After-prom party ticket is included in the prom ticket price. So if a upperclassman was taking a lower class man than they are invited to come as a guest. Only other high schoolers are allowed to attend if they are a guest of a nphs student,” stated Rodgers.
With the growing tradition of alcohol-fueled parties on prom night, the idea behind After-prom was to provide a better option.
After-prom was created “to offer a students a safe and fun alternative to drinking and partying in a way that could be harmful after the prom. Prom should be one of the most memorable experiences in high school so we want to make sure it stays positive and safe,” said Terry.
There are many differences between prom and After-prom that contribute to the stark contrast between the two atmospheres.
Faatimah Syed, senior, stated, “Prom is more fancy and formal, while After-prom is more relaxed.”
“During After Prom, you don’t have to wear a dress or tux or anything…I wore pajamas and I took off all my makeup and stuff like that,” said Izzy Bordagaray, senior.
Attendance at After-prom was low this year compared to previous years, which is likely due to the combination of multiple factors.
Bordagaray said, “It used to be a lot bigger, but I feel like as the classes have gone by people want to party more and so it’s sort of on a decline.”
In addition, some students choose not to go “because After-prom is until four the next morning and a lot of people are tired from the dance and don’t want to stay up that long,” said Syed.
On the other hand, many students find After-prom to be a satisfying substitute if they are unable to attend prom.
“Especially this year with not as many (tickets) available, a lot of people were trying to find an option that they could still have a prom night and so that’s why After-prom is good,” stated Bordagaray, “or even if you don’t want to spend $100 on a ticket because that is way expensive, (After-prom is) $20 and a really nice alternative.”
The main concern with After-prom is its time frame and its late ending. This year, it unfortunately coincided with AP testing, which along with the early morning endtime, swayed most students to pass on After-prom.
“Well it is a long night so we’ve considered shortening it and maybe only having it go until 3am or so, but no final decision has been made. I know this year some students had to study the following day so they ended up leaving early and were ineligible to win the grand prizes, since you have to be present to win,” said Terry.
Despite its decreased popularity, After-prom creates a safe, fun environment for students after prom and is an honored tradition that should be continued.
Bordagaray stated, “Even four years ago when I was a freshman, I went with one of my junior friends and the whole theater department went; and it was literally the best night ever…it’s just sad to me that people are overlooking simple fun because this is literally simple fun.”
Photo from Vanise Terry/With Permission
