Lincoln East’s 2026 prom took place on April 11 in the Scottish Rite Ballroom in downtown Lincoln. Prom is a staple of the American high school experience, an event some dream about since childhood. The quintessential dance is often depicted in coming-of-age media, establishing prom in popular culture as the night to remember.
This year, though, I noticed an air that lingered in prom recaps. Most anecdotes came with an addendum that it didn’t live up to expectations. For once, I wasn’t the only smug pessimist. Prom did not satisfy the student body.
In a survey of 54 East students, the rating of their prom experience averaged 3.7 out of 5. Of 31 students who chose to elaborate, about 20% made some mention of preferring the day of prom to prom itself, and about 51% made some sort of complaint, whether about feeling hot, overstimulated, dissatisfied with the music and dancing, or otherwise. When asked if prom catered well to them, 40.7% answered “a little bit,” and 20.4% answered “no.”
“I think getting ready with friends and going out to eat is what most people look forward to,” was written in one of the responses. “Not a lot of people actually want to be present or dance.”
In terms of price, opinions vary. The median spent on prom was $250. The majority of responses said prom was either not affordable or at least expensive, and several noted that girls end up paying considerably more for their appearance. However, many were quick to point out that although they were able to spend heftily, the cost does not necessarily make prom inaccessible for those who cannot. East has the upper hand over other schools in having proportionally cheaper ticket prices. Beside that, there are ways to enjoy prom on a budget, through second-hand clothing, affordable dinner options, and opting out of a more elaborate experience. Budget prom options are hardly boring.
Prom’s biggest appeal, according to 30 students, was overwhelmingly the opportunity to spend time with friends or partners. In second, with 7 responses, was the makeover, followed by the rite of passage opportunity with 6 responses.
The reviews of prom are disenchantingly centric. Prom was inoffensive. Not horrible, not incredible. Nonetheless, the non-issue of prom reveals something about today’s culture: prom is lacking in the substance that once gave the event its appeal, as are so many other things about youth today.
Prom is meant to carry weight as the apex event of the year for older high school students: a celebration of graduation, a formal event to transition into adulthood. I imagined, growing up, prom holding this special feeling of unity and comradery between seniors.
“For one night, who we were for four years of high school, it doesn’t matter.” I heard this line in the Disney Channel movie “Prom.” “It’s just all of us together, in this one perfect moment. I want to be a part of that.”
It’s a completely cheesy line in a movie made for pre-teens, but it made me want to give prom a fair chance. It made me want to be optimistic about my peers.
Instead, prom just felt like any other hot, loud party I didn’t want to be at.
If prom’s main appeal is just having an excuse to hang out with friends while wearing fancy attire, what sets it apart? Why not just plan a night out on individual terms? Prom did not feel like a unifying experience. Rather, it felt like driving. To a driver, their own goals and wants are their justified priority, but every other car is just traffic.
As I sifted through old East yearbooks, read prom recaps, and looked at students from the 70s, 80s, and 90s enjoying prom, I noticed how much prom has changed. Prom used to be run by students, relying on them to plan, decorate, and execute the night, pulling us all together. Remember that theme, “Starlight in the City” (or “startlight,” as the tickets read)? Prom themes seem to only exist now as a relic of the fact that we used to set up our dances to match the wants and needs of our school. Similarly, this year, the crowning of prom royalty was a mostly forgettable part of the evening, but it used to be an involved part of the night, including speeches from the homecoming court and throwing an entire coronation for the queen and king. It was a cornerstone of the experience, a performance, unadulterated fun.
Prom doesn’t need to be eradicated. This year, prom was overwhelmingly underwhelming. In 2026, teenagers are more isolated than ever, and especially with East having 1000 more students than way back when, it’s hard to expect us all to be friends. Social gatherings like prom expose the weakness of our school spirit, or at least that we bond more over complaining than enthusiasm. But it isn’t impossible to re-evaluate prom and tailor it for teenagers today. Perhaps it’s time for us to reflect upon the unironic solidarity of ye olde school dance and reincorporate those student-led ideas back into prom. We can alter prom so it doesn’t just bank on the name of an event our parents liked, but instead actually reflects a tradition of togetherness and fun that prom stands for.
