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Top prom themes and songs

Top 10 Prom Themes

1. Mardi Gras

2. Starry Night

3. Casino Royale

4. Under the Sea

5. Hooray for Hollywood!

6. Tiki Paradise

7. Camelot Adventure

8. Big 80s

9. Egyptian Mystery

10. Parisian Nights

—From PromSpot.com

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Top 8 Slow Prom Songs

1. “When a Man Loves a Woman” by Percy Sledge.

2. “You Really Got a Hold on Me” by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles

3. “My Girl” by the Temptations

4. “Unchained Melody” by the Rigteous Brothers

5. “Pictures of You” by the Cure

6. “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green

7. “All I want is You” by U2

8. “No Woman No Cry” by Bob Marley

—From Associated Content

By Naomi Creason, Sentinel Reporter, May 18, 2008

Last updated: Monday, May 19, 2008 2:18 PM EDT

It’s a night of hanging out with friends, showing off the latest styles or arm candy and dancing the rest of one’s high school years away.

But it’s all the work beforehand that allows the biggest party of the year to go on without a hitch.

Before Mechanicsburg Area High School’s prom at the Zembo Shrine Saturday night, six high school students crowded around a table, slouched over pieces of paper, marking a tally next to each name that appeared on the list.

It wasn’t the most exciting task the prom committee has taken on since they started working on the prom in March, but it was necessary if they wanted to get the names of the court finalists settled by Thursday’s morning’s vote.

And get the prom court’s names on the program.

And then clean off 600 glasses filled with candles that were shipped over with mysterious thumb prints.

It was a busy last week for the prom committee, but not one the members couldn’t handle.

“I feel like we started kind of early this year, so there’s not really that made rush at the end of the year,” said Megan McGrath, 17. “Everything’s been pretty organized, plus Miss Shirey’s great.”

Need a little direction

The 12-member prom committee made appearances every morning and after school during the last week before prom, but adviser and gifted education teacher at the high school Monica Shirey makes sure that last week doesn’t include really long hours.

“I’m here to guide them to make good decisions,” Shirey said. “They have good ideas, but some just work better than others.”

Junior Courtney Baker, 17, is thankful for the guidance.

“She’s done this so many times that she could probably do this in her sleep,” she said.

Much of Shirey’s direction comes in handy at the beginning of the semester when the committee chooses what the theme and song will be.

“We try to think of something that everyone will like,” Courtney Baker, 17, said. “We can’t make it too romantic because those without dates won’t want to go and we can’t make it too country because some people won’t like it. We need something that has to fit everyone.”

“We usually ask some people outside of the committee about what they think about something,” said Megan Soisson, 17, who said that the committee solely makes the decision on what the theme will be.

Since the theme is rather important in terms of decorations and merely getting people to the prom, Shirey makes sure the ideas don’t get too outlandish.

“I usually steer them away from certain ideas,” Shirey said. “This year’s group has been pretty good in deciding what is possible and narrowing it down. Last year, the prom committee really pushed us to use this country song, and I just sort of told the girls that’s probably not the way we want to go.”

The theme and song are one in the same, the committee last year finally deciding on the James Bond Theme and Shirley Bassey song “Diamonds are Forever.” This year’s committee went the route of “Dancing in the Moonlight.”

Decorations simplified

Deciding the theme then leads into what sort of decorations will be required for the night.

Luckily for those involved this year, the prom is housed at the Zembo Shrine and not in a dinner hall at a hotel.

“We don’t really have to do too much for decorations,” said Kendra Parker-Pitts, 16. “[Zembo Shrine] hangs up the lights from the ceiling for us.”

Another time saver is the fact that this year’s Mechanicsburg prom does not include a dinner.

“We have a dinner every other year,” Megan McGrath said. “This year it’s just dessert.”

While the members thought that the test tasting of the desserts were the best part, explaining simply that some were like “heaven in your mouth,” Shirey was glad that the dessert prom meant a small price for ticket holders.

“Our prom tickets completely cover the cost of prom, and we’re selling them for $20 each this year,” Shirey said. “Last year, with the meal, it costs $40.”

That jump in price may be something that upsets the typical dinner-dessert rotation for the high school prom.

“I’ve been looking at places around here and there’s nobody out there that can bring us down to $40 again, so I think I’m more inclined to just do dessert,” Shirey said. “Students are spending $40 essentially on the dinner, and I think I’d rather much have them pay $20 and they can go anywhere they want.”

Whatever the case may be, the juniors on the prom committee now are just hopeful the current sophomore class will be willing to do as much work.

Even if that does mean an afternoon of straining your eyesight and washing glassware.