Amy's mother preps her for the big night.

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(Above photo: Amy's mother preps her for the big night.)

“Prom is the most important night in a young girl’s life.” My date, Geoffrey Parker, revealed that this adage had been drilled into his head. Poor boy.

We had just finished dinner at Via Maestra 42 and were ready to walk through the doors of our senior prom. I was surprised. Was prom was the most important night in my life? Really? Why hadn’t anyone told me that?

Amy and Geoffrey at Via Maestra 42.

I refused to believe it was true. It hadn’t even registered that my senior prom had finally arrived, and I didn’t care if it was perfect or not. I bought my shoes three days prior, tried on my makeup for the first time the night before, and wasn’t even completely sure where I was eating dinner before I showed up for photos. It didn’t seem like that big of a deal, just a longer version of a school dance.

Boy, was I wrong.

Geoffrey and I arrived at Earl Warren Showgrounds to find a lengthy red carpet. Two menacing bouncers guarded the entrance, and paparazzi assaulted us with cameras and autograph pads. Luckily, Geoffrey and I made the list, and we dodged the fans to reach the doors of Club 08’s VIP lounge pain free.

Seniors were pretty upset over prom being held at Earl Warren versus the previous years’ location at Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort. The Associated Student Body (ASB) assured us that they were saving thousands of dollars in making the switch, and that the extra money went toward decorations. Honestly, I didn’t believe them. I had reservations about how they could fix a building that was also used for horse shows, but I was impressed. Long swatches of white fabric ran from the floor to the top of the dome shaped ceiling, creating a dance tent in the middle of the room. Hiding inside was a deejay, a projector screen with music videos, lasers and lights, sporadic confetti showers, and elevated boxes to dance on. Just outside the tent was a lounge that included red, plushy couches and chairs as well as a bar with a chocolate fountain, and snacks and drinks, non-alcoholic only, of course.

A time-honored tradition: The gentleman places the corsage on the wrist of his lady love.

The room shook with pulsing hip-hop beats and we spent enough time on the dance floor to make my feet ache. The tent was packed and the deejay aptly announced that out of all the proms he’d attended, Santa Barbara High truly knew how to party.

The clock struck midnight and the party started to wind down, or at least, change location. We hitched a ride to the official after prom party at Zodo’s Bowling & Beyond, where ironically, I didn’t even bowl. I was too busy grubbing on free food, winning free prizes, playing blackjack, and downing plenty of caffeinated drinks to stay awake. Last but not least, there was an early morning hypnotist show where Geoffrey was an honored participant. The night passed far too quickly for there to be enough time to enjoy everything.

Alas, the party started to wind down around 5 a.m., and parent volunteers began pushing the few remaining students out the door. The fatigue didn’t set in until an hour later and I can still feel it two days later. I can hardly believe that I pulled an all-nighter and had so much fun with the class of 2008.

I don’t know if prom was the most important night of my life, but it was definitely the most fun.

Don’t worry, Geoffrey. I had a fabulous time.

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