Student Life 

BRISTOL EASTERN HIGH — In the face of low attendance, junior prom may be on its way out. Last year, the Class of ‘28 voted not to have a junior prom, opting instead for a “spring fling” which will be hosted at the school next year. The dance saves money because it is not held at a private venue. In May, only 31% of juniors attended junior prom, paying $85 for a ticket. The class lost a $500 deposit when the venue’s attendance minimum was not met. Last year, only 26% of now-seniors attended their junior prom. Despite the struggles, some students want to see junior prom survive. As city-wide trends suggest declining interest, and some note challenges with fundraising, is junior prom worth it?

According to Class of ‘28 officers and advisors, a spring fling is essentially a junior prom held at Eastern rather than a venue, in order to save money. Last year, the class held a referendum to decide which dance to hold, and a majority voted for the spring fling. Mrs. Davis, a class advisor, said that spring fling “does everything a prom does,” explaining, “You get to dress up nicely, we’re going to have a DJ…there’s going to be a theme” and “in all senses of the word, spring fling and prom are the same.”

 Some sophomore officers have faced repeated complaints from students who are upset about the decision. Zendel Y., the sophomore class secretary, said, “It’s really unfortunate, because we do try to include the class for our decisions. It’s not just something that class officers decide on their own.” The referendum was held twice, because the first time, less than a fifth of the class voted. The second time, about 54% voted. It is the highest ever turnout for a class decision. Zendel said, “We tried our best to reach out, and whatever the results were, [they would be] dependent on the students.” According to advisor Mrs. Anderson, the spring fling will free up funds for a class outing to Holiday Hill, a resort. She said, “No other class has done [an outing], because historically there’s not been any money to pay for it.”

Two years ago, Class of ‘27 officers planned a spring fling instead of junior prom. After consulting with advisors of a previous class, they decided to hold a dance at the school, in order to save money for senior prom. But they received backlash for acting without input from students and parents. As a result, the class held a vote; a majority of voters opted for junior prom. Erin M., the junior treasurer, took office after the decision. She said, “With junior prom being so last minute…ticket prices were going to be higher.” She believes that the $85 ticket deterred many juniors. She said the venue’s 120-person minimum for attendance was not met, meaning the class lost its $500 deposit. Asked about fundraising, Erin said that while fundraising “has been successful,” some projects have been affected by “scheduling problems with the school.” She said, “We've pushed to do a lot of fundraising...we advertised them and everything, but it depends on the participation.” She said that, “depending on our fundraisers,” the ticket price for senior prom “could go down.”

Kainan K., a junior, did not go to junior prom, explaining, “I didn’t want to spend the money on four hours; I didn’t think it was worth it.” He had voted for spring fling instead of prom, and that made him less inclined to go. He said he probably would have gone if it was less expensive. He said he plans to go to senior prom next year. When asked about some advisors’ projection of a $100+ senior prom ticket, he said he believes that the price “shouldn’t be that high.” He acknowledged that most people have fun at junior prom, but he did not recommend that future classes have one, saying, “You could just have a smaller dance…or you could just do some other kind of event. You could still have fun doing that, and then save up for senior prom.” When asked about fundraising, he said, “There were lots of [fundraisers] out there, but I think not a lot of people went to them, and it’s just the school spirit that affects it.”  

Eva G., a senior, went to her junior prom last year. She said, “It was really fun.” She said the Class of ‘26 never held a referendum, and had always planned to have two proms. She does not think the ticket price, which she said was $65, was the main reason for low attendance at 26%. She noted that junior prom was still cheaper than senior prom, and prices have been even higher in years past. Instead, she suspects that many ineligible students were saving their eligibility appeal for senior prom. When asked about fundraising, she said that her class “did a pretty good job,” in that “they tried to do a lot of fundraisers.” However, she said, “I think not as many people participated in the fundraisers as we would have liked.” She said she would recommend junior prom for future classes, explaining, “I think they would be missing out if they didn’t have a junior prom. I think it’s worth it to have it at a venue [because] that really elevates the experience.”

Mrs. Davis said she has spoken with the principal about junior prom, and also with advisors from Bristol Central who have faced low ticket sales. She said, “In Bristol as a whole, we are thinking that junior prom is probably no longer going to exist.” Future classes may choose a cheaper junior dance, using the Class of ‘28 as a model. Classes may instead favor an elaborate junior prom, backed by decades of tradition. The shift away from junior prom is drawing attention in high places. After the embattled spring fling decision of the Class of ‘27, junior prom is no longer a given. In the past, class officers left the decision up to tradition. Now, they are having students vote. Future classes will decide if junior prom is worth it.