• On Good Things Utah this morning – Oh boy! The assignment today was for the hosts was to send pictures of their proms from way back when, but Nicea took it a step further and actually wore her dress from Sophomore Prom in 1988. The pink taffeta, the bows, the lace it’s a lot to take in – but we think Nicea’s mom outdid herself when she made this dress 34 years ago! Deena, Brianne and Surae also brought pictures and everybody was looking absolutely fantastic.
    • Prom is probably the most famous school event in any town in the United States. It has been highly publicized as the “best night of your life.” Many know that prom events have existed for decades, however, they have actually existed for more than 200 years! The dance was originally a ball thrown by universities in the 1800s to express family wealth and privilege. How did this strange custom become the most famous part of the classic American high school? Proms were primarily thrown with the main purpose for young men to show off their newly found manners and social standing. A few years after the late 1890s, promenades moved to high schools for senior classes. Boys were encouraged to wear their “Sunday best,” and women dressed in dresses inherited from their mothers.
    • The promenade was not a “dance” but a tea party. However, they were only for the graduate and their families. Most colleges did not allow women to attend the Promenade. If women were to attend, it was only as relatives or dates of the graduating male.
    • By 1930, they were a casual custom. As well as having the entire location changed, proms became a more social event. It was now for 17-18 year old high school seniors instead of 21-22 year old college graduates. Unlike the graduates, however, the teens were under the strict watch of chaperones. Whilst the Promenade was a celebration of social standing and wealth, the “prom,” as it became called, was primarily an event to teach young women and men how to fit into their assigned “gender roles.” The prom was held in school gyms, but was eventually moved to hotels and country clubs by the 1950s. We hope you tune in for this Hot Topic and so much more this morning on a Tuesday edition of GTU.