D
stentorian
north Carolina school of science and mathematics
V0I.XIX
1219 broad street, durham nc 27705
march 2000
The “Do’s” and “Don’t’s”
alison chu
Mackenzie Brads, Clarice Spica, and Willy Tuffs play with a museum exihil while at the I9‘)9
Prom.
Making Prom
Memorable
The perfect dress or tuxedo, the perfect date, the perfect night... In movies
and magazine ads, prom is illustrated as a mystical, magical event. Sometimes, prom
does turn out to be a Cinderella-style evening, but more often than not, life takes
over and petty disasters strike. NCSSM students who have attended previous proms
have learned numerous lessons from their experiences. And now, as year 2000’s
prom approaches, the following prom advice should provide insight to NCSSM
students.
Kevin Cromwell was in charge of the Prom Committee for eight years. During
those eight years, he has witnessed many changes happen to the entire prom expe
rience.
“From ticket prices to the where the prom takes place, NCSSM prom has
changed significantly since 1992 - the year I first headed the Prom Committee,” said
Cromwell.
One part of the prom experience that still remains constant is the objective to
make prom a memorable experience.
“Prom is about enjoying yourself,” said Senior Sara Manner.
Students generally begin prom-planning by finding that special date or group
of friends they want to attend prom with. Since the task of deciding whom to attend
prom with has the potential to be stressful, there are some important tips to keep in
mind.
“Don’t feel obligated to go with a particular person. It is important to go with
someone that you will have fun with,” said Senior Brandy Shaw.
“Do not have such high expectations for your date that he or she cannot fulfill
them. You end up feeling disappointed. Likewise, do not go with somebody who
has impossibly high expectations for you. You will go crazy trying to make him or
her happy,” said Senior Clarise Spica.
Although prom is often considered an event for couples, it is perfectly all
right to go with a group of friends. Many students at NCSSM take that route and
enjoy themselves thoroughly.
“1 went to the prom with a friend last year and had a wonderful time,” said
Senior Heidi Landry.
“If you choose to attend prom with a group of people, make sure that the size
of the group is small enough that you feel comfortable. If your prom group is too
-Memorable P3-
The North Carolina School of Science and Math offers, every year, a
prom experience unlike any other. No matter how hard we try to make our prom
a facsimile of the proms of other “normal” high schools around the country, we
always end up being eccentric and standing out a little from the rest.
First of all, instead of holding prom at a fancy hotel or transfonning the
school gym into a scene out of a Cinderella, S&M opts to uphold their academic
tradition - we manage to even make prom educational by holding it at the North
Carolina Museum of Life and Science. Students end up playing with the many
displays and taking pictures with the stuffed animals.
Instead of renting limos or borrowing their parents’ Lexus’s, some
students end up riding the loop to the restaurants that we normally frequent at
South Square, Ninth/Broad Streets, Erwin Square, or Brightleaf. Even if stu
dents have their cars, it’s still different from other high school proms because
for us, it’s a rare privilege. Whereas other high schools students ride in each
others’ cars all the time, for S&M students, it is often the first time that they
have seen each others’ rides, much less ridden with them.
—A2ong with a'l these peculiar circumstances ceme rales tliat do not
apply to “normal” high school students. Following these few, simple rules will
ensure a less-than-ordinary, yet SLl-less prom:
1. Each student planning on stay
ing overnight at a location besides
school must obtain and complete the re
quired Prom Overnight form before
March 22"**. Students with overnight
permission must leave campus before In-
Dorm Curfew. Parents are responsible
for students’ actions when overnight
permission is granted.
2. Loops will be running to and
from prom, and also to restaurants be
fore and after prom. However, this is the
one school function at which students
are allowed to have cars on campus. But,
students must strictly adhere to the fol
lowing regulations.
a) The schedule for the day of
prom:
10:00AM Students with cars
may pick up keys from Bryan SLI office
6:00 PM Bus loops to local res
taurants begin
9:00 PM Bus loops to Prom site
begin
9PM-1AM Prom
1:30 AM Car keys due to Bryan
SLI office (if staying on campus over
night. If staying elsewhere, car keys are
due upon arrival)
2:00 AM In-Dorm curfew
b) All students living outside of
2-hour driving radius of NCSSM may
bring vehicles to campus between 9AM
and 10:30PM on March island lO***. Cars
must leave campus by April 2"** at 10:30
PM
c) Students within the two-hour
radius may bring cars on Friday, March
24"' at 6PM. These cars must leave on
March 26"'by 10:30 PM
d) Immediately upon arrival, stu
dents must turn in the Vehicle Permis
sion Form signed by parents and keys to
Bryan SLI office. The following informa
tion must be provided for periodically
administered car checks: the make, model,
color, and license plate number of car.
Besides these rules, it’s up to each
student to make their prom experience
unique and memorable. These are some
prom plans that S&M students have
found to maximize their prom enjoyment:
1. Many students stay overnight
at the Doubletree Hotel or other nearby
establishments. Often, rooms are rented
as a group of couples or friends. Other
students opt to stay at the homes of
friends nearby.
2. Since some students have the
opportunity to drive somewhere, they go
to restaurants outside of Durham. Ra
leigh and Chapel Hill offer a variety of
cuisines that are sure to please all in your
prom party.
3. Or instead of going to an ex
pensive restaurant, opt for a more wal
let-friendly picnic. Go to McDonalds in
your dresses and tuxedos and order
Happy Meals.
4. Go to Waftlehouse after prom
and fill up your growling tummy and rest
your tired dancing shoes while you scarf
down blueberry pancakes.
5. Even though pictures are taken
at prom (the professionals and your own
2 or 3 24-rolls), many students take their
own pictures beforehand. Some of the
best prom pictures were taken at school,
at Duke Gardens, or at the fountain in
Erwin Square.