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“How rude!” Walking out on Prom was inconsiderate

By Staff | May 12, 2008

I went to the Blue Earth Area High School prom for the first time last Saturday night.

No, I didn’t have a tux, or a date either, for those of you who are snickering out there. I went to take pictures for this week’s paper, and the CU site.

It wasn’t like it was the first time I have gone to a prom to take photos. I am not really sure I have missed going to a prom since about 1973.

That means I have taken many pictures of boys and girls in tuxes and dresses. For the most part the boys were in the tuxes and the girls were in the dresses.

Then of course, there is the fact that I have three children and each of them went to three high school proms. Figuring that my children are three years apart in age to the day, (but that is another story) that means that for nine straight years I went to the grand march not just as a newspaper photographer, but also as a dad.

And that also means that for nine straight years I had a financial interest in the prom. I think we finally got rid of our daughter’s three prom dresses (and multitudes of bridesmaid dresses) when we moved to Blue Earth.

I am not whining, I am just explaining that I have been to dozens of prom grand marches. Perhaps it is my ironic punishment, for you see, I never went to my own high school prom. Once again, that is another story.

Getting back to the story at hand, the point I wish to make is that I thought I had seen it all. A guy in a prom dress. Girls in prom dresses that were, shall we say, overly revealing (What WERE their mothers thinking?) and such outfits as cowboy hats and boots, tennis shoes, canes, top hats, everything one can think of.

Even a dress made out of duct tape, which also made an appearance at this year’s BEA prom.

What I had not ever seen was what happened at the prom in the BEA gym last week Saturday. It was surprisingly rude.

What happened was that a lot of people got up and left before the grand march was over. Not just a handful, but dozens of people.

It started with a trickle. After a few people got up and left, more started doing it. It became a flood.

Besides being inconsiderate to the kids still walking down the runway of the grand march, the people leaving got in the way of those staying and trying to get a picture of the couple posing along the march.

One of those people trying for a picture was me. It got so bad that the person sitting next to me was putting up his arm to halt the people leaving so they would not get in my way.

His comment was “Is there something good on TV tonight they need to go see?”

Actually I think it was probably that the prom couple they came to see had gone on by, and was out in the commons area, and they felt the need to go and visit with them. Although, they also might have had an important appointment they needed to get to yet that night. But I doubt it.

Whatever reason they might have, I hope they don’t use it again next year, and everyone stays in place until the whole grand march is over, and then get up and leave.

Granted there were 86 couples to watch go by. But then, that is why folks paid three bucks to get in, wasn’t it? To watch the couples march by, not the other way around…