Tollbar Senior Prom 2008 Report
Scott NeumannThe Prom, an opaque veil covers the event, and although one hears tales of the happenings within previous Proms, it is said, “It is an event which must be experienced in order for its true meaning to be realised”.
I arrived at Kenwick Park with two of my friends in a beautifully restored 1935 Riley Kestrel and, due to its breathtaking top speed of 40 mph, we left for the venue early. A little too early, we were the first to arrive, yet this granted us the ability to witness the arrival of everyone else, in all manner of vehicles, which proved to be quite entertaining.
The rain had subsided as if Mother Nature herself marvelled at the sculptured ornamental hair-dos that perched upon many happy heads. And the colour spectrum was fully exploited as the females’ dresses echoed the vibrant emotion of the night, whilst still retaining elegance. It must be said that every single girl present looked remarkable, a flawless display of how every one of them possess the ability to look ‘a million dollars’.
Of course, the male assembly looked fresh and smart. The vast array of bow ties and waist coats mirrored the huge diversity in personality within the year, yet for one night at least, everyone placed aside their differences and enjoyed themselves for one last time as students of Tollbar BEC.
I counted a grand total of 9 people who asked if I had lathered my skin in fake tan before turning up, but I valiantly defended my dignity and told them that I’d just got home from Spain, which was the honest truth.
The meal was superb. I treated myself to Beef Stroganoff, rice, potatoes and vegetables. Even my shirt approved of the gravy. There were profiteroles on offer for dessert, but I decided to attempt to eat my selections of sweets that I had generously smothered in the chocolate fondue fountain. I made an awful mess but it was worth it.
The firework display was top-notch, and possibly the best I have ever experienced. I like to think that each unique kaleidoscopic explosion represented a memorable moment that I had shared with the other people that were also witnessing the psychedelic feast of light. When the effigy of the Tollbar BEC insignia lit up and glowed down to embers, a sense of loss and longing caught hold of my emotions, as I wished for the memories of school life, which I now lovingly cherish, to ignite and rise like a phoenix from the ashes to be relived again.
The climax of the night came as the dance floor was swarmed by almost everyone, as we sweated the latter half of the night away to songs varying from modern hits to the infamous Grease medley, which I rather worryingly knew every word to.
Overall, the night can be summed up in that old cliché ‘it was a night to remember’. I came to a conclusion on the emotional value of the Prom.
The night is a chance to say those final farewells to people one has spent 5 years with; those who kept you afloat upon the turbulent seas of education in the boat of friendship. That is one reason why the Prom is so special to everyone, as it marks the end of an era, and relationships with people, many of whom you may never see again for the rest of your life. And what a way to say those farewells.
However, what I came to understand was of much larger significance. The Prom to everyone, though not all have realised it, marks childhood’s end, as one departs the world of pre-maturity into the ‘big bad world’, and the snap-shots that are still burnt into my retina of the night all sew together to create a patchwork blanket that my childhood memories shall remain snug within forevermore. Now one is presented with a blank canvas on which to paint a picture, stroke after stroke, to build a life of independence and to shape a future which will form one’s character in adult life.
And so the Prom lived up to, and even surpassed, my expectations. It proved to be an unmissable experience, a night driven by pure emotion. Yes, it really does have to be experienced in order for its true meaning to be realised.
