As the school year begins to wrap up, students look forward to getting dressed up with their friends and going to the prom. The dance is a very popular event among the upperclassmen and some underclassmen as well. Freedom’s prom consists of  picture taking, a grand march and an all night dance with food, music and other activities. With prom being held all night, some students find this to be a very long and tiring night, while others don’t want the night to end. Some students have spoken about having prom end earlier, such as 1 or 2 A.M.. Others are perfectly fine with the way it is. There are pros and cons to both scenarios. 

With having prom all night long, it keeps participants from doing things such as going to after parties and driving under the influence. A lot of people are tired by 5 A.M., and they are just ready to head home and go to sleep. Freedom is also one of the only schools in the area that has an all night prom; it makes it unique from other schools. However, students tend to get tired and worn out through the night. The staff tries to keep the crowd going with music and other activities through the night, but people are still tired and exhausted by the end of the night, which could become dangerous when trying to drive home. 

“I personally think a half night is better. Only because you don’t have tired teenagers driving,” senior Leia Mosconi said. 

Mosconi attended Central Valley’s prom her junior year, but will be attending Freedom’s prom for her senior year. She will get to experience both sides. 

Some current juniors and seniors have also gotten to experience the difference between the dance times at Freedom as well. The 2021 Prom was not all night due to a venue change during the COVID-19 pandemic. The students at the time were only freshmen and sophomores. 

While most other schools have proms that do not last all night, those dances still tend to have pros and cons as well. Students are able to go home and get rest, but not everyone makes smart decisions when it comes to having a good night. The law in Pennsylvania also states that students on a juniors drivers license are not permitted to drive between the hours of 11 P.M. and 5 A.. Having a half night prom could lead to more students being pulled over on their way home. 

While looking ahead to future proms, there are many pros and cons to both scenarios. Some students love the all night prom and prefer it that way, while others express their concerns about shortening the time and not having it last all night.