By Rabita Aziz (May 22, 2004)

The poster of the smiling teens dressed like princes and princesses behind the prom ticket table, was just a little corny, but in reality, that’s what over 200 seniors and juniors are preparing to do for tonight’s "Midnight Cove" prom at the Clarendon Ballroom in Arlington. With the average junior and senior spending over $250 on prom expenses, it’s sure to be a truly magical midnight at the cove. 

The cash register has been filled with money for the past three weeks at the Jessica McClintock store at Tyson’s, with girls buying beautiful dresses for $100 and up. Many girls are also spending over $30 for manicures and pedicures, with an average of $20 on their hair, and they are spending even more on accessories such as shoes and purses. The same goes for their male counterparts, who spent over $125 for their tuxedos. Of course, come Friday afternoon, the tuxedo stores were filled with frantic junior and senior boys. Boys are also buying corsages for their dates, which don’t come cheap. Of course, they spend even more money on their tickets, which run for $30 each. Several people are splitting the cost of limo rides, which go for over $1,500 a night, and springing over $150 each. The average junior and senior is also spending around $40 for dinner as well. The after-Prom festivities will last into the morning, with people spending an average of about $50 on "party favors," which include hotel rooms and much more. Many students plan on doing some party hopping all through the night, and the next day as well.

But not everyone is taking part in the traditional pre-prom festivities of dining and riding to prom in style. Several people are doing other, creative things, such as spending a grand total of $10 to go see a movie before the prom. Junior Casey Smirniotopolous and boyfriend Teddy Smith are going to the HFStival before Prom, then heading out to dinner at the Melting Pot. Teddy’s going to arrive in style in his dad’s Cadillac. Many students are also joining together in intimate groups to have dinner at a friend’s home instead of dishing out big bucks at a restaurant. A group of junior girls, including Zoe Jones, Becky Brown, and Caroline Leamon, who, being junior class secretary, was a major planner of prom, are going to dine at Potomac Landing in Alexandria.

Groups of girls are also getting together at a friend’s home, getting ready together, then going out to dinner as well. Many students are heading out to Georgetown as well, such as juniors Madiha Khan and Tania Andrade, junior class president, who was the main planner of prom. These ladies are going to Nick’s Riverside Grill with their dates.

Students deciding to drive themselves to prom won’t be disappointed, since there will be complimentary valet parking available. The decorations at prom won’t be too different from the ones at the restaurants students will be going to. The Midnight Cove Prom will have a tropical theme, with palm trees embellishing the downstairs part of Clarendon Ballroom. There will also be sand, seashells, and live fish in fish bowls as well. Tropical flowers will be spread throughout the ballroom, including the upstairs terrace.
 

Hopefully students won’t become too full from dinner, as there will be lots of food provided at prom. The tropical theme continues with various fruit mixed smoothies, such as pineapple and coconut. The desserts won’t upset as well, with chocolate chip brownies, chocolate truffles, white chocolate cheesecake, and assorted miniature pastries. Although a cheese board and vegetables and chips will be on the tables as well, prom advisor Kate Hopkins expects they won’t disappear as fast as the other foods.  With all these exciting prom preparations, it’s sure to be a magical night, advisor and planner Ms. Hopkins explained. "2004 Midnight Cove Prom will surely be a great night." On a more serious note, many prom attendees signed the Prom Promise, stating that they would not drink and drive on prom night. A wrecked car sat on campus for days to remind students of the potential devastation drinking and driving can cause and many students from Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) participated in a day of solemn remembrance of young people who have died as a result of drunk driving.