Secaucus High School students are making preparations and saving their money for the last hurrah before graduation – the prom. The celebration is a month away, June 10, to be held at the Hyatt hotel in Jersey City.
They will be overlooking the Hudson River with a view of Liberty State Park, New York City, and 12 years of school memories.
“To me, it’s a gathering of the class,” said senior Austin Hinton. “It’s the last time everyone’s going to be together before graduation.”
A group of 10 seniors gathered to talk about the prom recently. “It’s like a going away party for good,” added senior Scott Noonan.
People get ready
Students have been looking forward to the prom for months, some even buying their dresses six months in advance. “We get ours early so nobody else will get the dress,” said senior Diane Rubio.
Some think the excitement can be excessive.
“A lot of people go overboard,” said senior Kristina Alfieri. “You’ll hear about it in classes. They’ll go for test runs with their hair and talk about what color they want their nails done for months.”
Students have been working part-time jobs to help pay for the prom, at retail stores, food establishments, motels, and babysitting. Rubio said that she quit softball so she could work at Uncle D’s Ice Cream to raise funds.
The prom bids are $85 per person, plus many people chip in for a $100 to $200 limousine, and pictures run $30 to $60 per couple.
For girls, the prom dress can cost anywhere from $50 to over $300. Shoes cost $40 to $90; hair, $30 and up; tanning $5 per session, typically for three sessions; nails, $7 or a manicure, and $30 for tips; jewelry and accessories, $30, and a boutonnière for $6.
Guys have it a little easier. They get their $100 to $120 tuxedo and a $30 corsage three nights before the prom.
Dumping donkeys and improvising teachers
The class has been raising additional money since freshman year. Perhaps the most unusual fundraiser was the Donkey Dump, which they held three out of their four years.
Participants will buy a box on a grid for $10. A replica of the grid is created on the football field, where a donkey roams loose. Whoever owns the box corresponding to square where the donkey – um – drops his donkey-do, wins the 50/50 pot.
Junior year, each class runs the school’s haunted house. Other activities have included selling Italian ice and pizza, putting on a “The Gong Show,” running a “Little Mr./Miss Secaucus” contest for grades k-4, and hosting a version of the improvisation comedy TV show “Who’s Line is it Anyway,” featuring high school teachers.
The big night
The seniors and their dates typically gather at the high school before the prom for the actual promenade, where each group is introduced with an announcement. This year, due to construction of the auditorium, the promenade will take place at the town pool. According to Vice Principal Frank Costello, adults from around town come to the promenade whether they are parents or not.
“Three hundred people from around town come to the announcement,” Costello said.
“They come just to look at the gowns and hairstyles and makeup.”
The party at the Hyatt, chaperoned by teachers and administrators, begins at 7 p.m. with a hospitality hour. “It’s not cocktail hour, because there’s no cocktails served,” said Costello. Then the students will move into the ballroom for dinner and dancing to DJ’d music.
“There’s more dance music now, and kids are enthusiastic about getting up, because there’s more music they like to dance to,” said Costello. “The reasons proms are so successful is because everyone gets on the dance floor.” Costello said bringing a date is not essential because the dance floor is so full.
“Once everyone’s on the dance floor, the dating thing is not an issue,” he said.
Towards the end of the evening, the teachers choose a Prom King and Queen. The teachers select students who are well-liked, based on how they mingle and how they lead the dancing.
Each student will receive as a gift a CD of all the songs that were number one for each year since these kids have been in school, which was 1991. This year’s prom song is Montel Jordan’s “Once Upon a Time.”
At midnight, when the prom winds down, the students make the most of the rest of their night using the time remaining on their limos to go into the city.
“We’ll drive around, and um… talk,” said Noonan.
Seaside Heights
The next day, many students go to the shore. This year the destination is Seaside Heights.
“We go there to get out of Secaucus,” said Rubio.
Senior Jaden Sazari added, “The whole town of Secaucus will be there.”
What will they be doing at the shore?
“We’ll eat hot dogs?” said one senior, jokingly acknowledging Costello’s presence.
“Church?” added another.
“Community service,” offered Costello as a good answer.
“Ah yes that’s it,” said the group.
Not all students are going to the shore, however. Senior Nicolas Lam will be going to another prom in Toronto the next night.
Graduation will take place on June 23.
“I think [graduation’s] sad,” said senior Karen Mercado. “My group of six of us are all going to college out of state. I guess it’ll make the bond closer.” About half of the class of 2004 will be going to college out of state. Impending graduation evokes all kinds of reflection, said Alfieri: “It’s the realization that you’re not a little kid anymore.”