Bottom of the 12th: Prom Weekend

Senior prom is one of, if not the, top high school event before graduation. I had the fortune this past weekend to experience Hopkins 2011 prom.

After attending last year, I had the idea that I did not need—or really want—to attend prom this year. I was not thrilled at the prospect of spending the money, time and emotional effort that comes with the dance and did not feel as if I would miss out on the experience, having attended last year.

But on a cool breezy evening at Target Field, I was assigned to break a coworker in the dugout section and was hustling down there because I was a little behind and was excited to get the very good view of the game. In my haste, I nearly walked right by a girl from my school. Fortunately she noticed and greeted me before I was past.

After work, I checked my phone for messages while escaping from the cold wind and was greeted by the glow of a text from my good friend Danny that asked whether I would have any interest in taking Allie, the girl I had seen at the game, to prom.

As I thought about it, the idea grew on me. I hadn’t intended to go to prom but I had shared some classes with Allie and have always enjoyed talking with her and thought that it was almost too convenient to say no.

So the next day, Allie and I talked and agreed that it would be a good idea to go together. From there, I was drawn into the prom atmosphere that permeates the high school population each spring. I would later formally ask her over a dinner.

Over the next couple of weeks, preparations were made for dinner, a limo, pictures and a post-prom gathering. I kept myself out of the discussion for the most part—leaving the decisions to those who were more capable and excited to plan than I was.

On Saturday, the 20 of us all gathered at Danny’s house for some pictures and to coordinate rides from our parents down to the Sculpture Garden. I was managing the lacrosse game beforehand and had to hurry from the high school to my house to change and gather my things for the evening, which made for a bit of a stressful time.

When I arrived for pictures, however, things went very smoothly. My date looked amazing, and we matched very well. It was a good start. Despite a bit of rain, we were able to get some good pictures and make our way to the Sculpture Garden for some cool shots with the big spoon.

Our limo was a stretch SUV and was very cool. We drove around enjoying our vehicular investment before dinner, blaring some music and taking in the downtown scene. We arrived at our restaurant, Solera, a Spanish restaurant downtown, and began looking at the menu.

We were a little surprised at the choices—which included goat’s milk, swordfish (which I bravely tried) and rabbit. We ordered several things that all came in bite-sized portions—much of which was too fancy for our young, unsophisticated taste buds.

The dinner still provided plenty of good conversation, and the atmosphere was nice, a good fit for a prom group. After dinner, we proceeded to the Carlson Towers for the dance. The venue was very cool and much classier than last year’s. There was a fountain and outdoor area to add to the typical prom features of a dancing area and light food spread.

It took awhile for the dancing to get going as everyone, myself included, was a bit apprehensive. However, after the song “Cat Daddy” came on, a favorite within my circle of friends because of the outlandish dance that goes along with it, everyone became more comfortable. We danced for around two hours, until 11:15 p.m., when we decided to duck out early to avoid the 11:30 rush at the conclusion of the dance.

We took the limo back to Danny’s house—where there was a bonfire, hot tub and trampoline that were all put to good use. We all stayed the night there enjoying each other’s company and, despite some people’s best efforts, we did not enjoy much sleep.

Many of us did not get any sleep at all and decided to give it up around 6:30 a.m. We instead had some breakfast and took in the absolutely gorgeous morning. I was able to enjoy a bowl of cereal in shorts, a T-shirt and no socks.

People eventually began to groggily clear out one or two at a time. A friend and I went for breakfast before hanging out for awhile. I finally had to succumb to sleepiness and head home, where I napped until I was forced to return my jacket and tie to Men’s Wearhouse.

The event was amazing and completely changed my skeptical attitude into a relieved feeling. Everything went better than expected, and it had been more than worth the time, money and anxiety.

to see more photos from this year's prom.