The senior prom as we know it is full of: clichés, corsages and horribly romantic moments. My senior prom experience was quite different from this romanticized image we see on television.

The headline of this year’s prom, however, was the disturbing number of visits B-CC students paid to the emergency room. Approximately three students are rumored to have traded their prom dresses/suits for hospital gowns, and possibly five were suspended. Given that the senior class is a whopping 430 people, it’s nearly impossible to confirm statistics. Rumor also has it that we’re banned from the Hotel Grand Hyatt in Washington, DC.

For the girls, prom begins long before the actual dance. The preparations are insane. All week, girls frantically go tanning or get eyebrow waxes or have makeup and hair “rehearsals.”

Then, Saturday morning, the B-CC girls hit the streets of Bethesda. Most had their hair done professionally, and at least half had their makeup or nails professionally done as well. Most popular was the half-up, half-down look, but messy up-dos were a close second.

Around 6:30 p.m., the real festivities began. At least an hour was allocated for pictures and the oohs and ahs, the high pitched squeals of “you look so pretty!” After dinner, we all boarded our limo/party bus to the prom.

Although prom started at 9 p.m., I doubt anyone actually arrived on time. Most cars did a tour of the monuments before reaching the Hyatt in Washington, DC.

Upon my arrival, I had to admire the excellent work of our SGA. Four years of fundraising culminated in really good food, balloon arches (for the classic prom feel) and even an ice sculpture.

But the real event of prom, however, is the dancing. I’ll spare us all the anguish by not describing what happened on the dance floor. Just that dancing is a very loose definition of what ensued.

The next stop was the After Prom. Since most parents are terrified of the prom parties, their solution was to throw a super-awesome “After Prom,” which most students would attend instead of an after party. So, the PTA rented out Dave & Busters—meaning we had unlimited games and food all night.

On the most part, the PTA’s plan worked. Most people who went to prom did go to After Prom, though a few students were thrown out for showing up very drunk. After After Prom, we departed to after-parties/places to collapse.

Was it the greatest night of my life? I hope not. But it certainly was fun.