Prom season is in full swing here in Michigan. The stores have beaded dresses, long and short, with a lot of skin baring possibilities. Tuxedo's with vest that match their dates' dress are being rented. Tanning booths, manicures, pedicures, and hair style appointments are being booked. I read that the national average for prom this year is just over $1100. Wow! That is a lot of money. I attended prom in May of 1975. I did my own hair, bought my own dress, did my own makeup and nails, and wore shoes I already had. If I spent $50, I would be surprised.
I went to the Junior Senior Prom and Banquet with my high school boyfriend, Don. We had been dating for about two years at that time. I remember the excitement of getting ready for Prom. I felt so grown up. I bought my own dress for $40 in the neighboring town of Bad Axe, Michigan. It was a silky knit halter style long gown with a short sleeve shrug that tied under the bust. I loved that dress and wore it to a few weddings after graduation. Years later, my daughter used it for dress-up. Don gave me a bouquet of yellow and pink daisies with a pink ribbon.
The Prom was preceded by a Junior Senior Banquet. The Junior Class organized this event. Our banquet was held in the multi-purpose room at Harbor Beach High school. It was a catered dinner. The menu consisted of swiss steak, chicken, spaghetti, dinner rolls, salads, relish tray, cake, milk and coffee. For the ticket price of $4.00!
The Junior Senior Banquet Program consisted of the Junior Welcome with a Senior Response. Invocation and Dinner followed. The Class Will, a list of what the seniors were willing or leaving upon graduation. My Class Will was, "Brenda Glover leaves for Western Michigan University to do some lab experiments on finding a shorter route to Michigan State." I was going to Western Michigan in the fall to study Medical Technology and my boyfriend was going to Michigan State.
Next, was a speaker. Our English teacher, Ms. Layton, gave the speech. I don't remember the specifics of the speech, but I wrote in my senior memory book that it was good. Class Prophecy was read next. It was a prediction of your future. I don't remember mine. A closing was held and it was off to the Prom, which was a short walk down the hall to the high school gym. No fancy restaurants or venues for a Prom in 1975.
The Prom music was a hard rock band and I remember spending a lot of time in the foyer outside of the gym chatting with friends. It wasn't a dancing type of band. We left early around midnight and went out for pizza. My date and I; my friend Mary, and her date Tom; my friend Ann, and her date Bill went to Fosters Bar, south of Harbor Beach. My parents let me stay out later than usual and I got home around 1:30 a.m.
I remember Prom as a special time in high school. The Senior Prom was the start of the graduation festivities. Good friends and good times will always be remembered when I look back on that day in May of 1975.
