Prom: it’s the famous end-of-year high school dance exclusive to juniors and seniors, a time to celebrate and to dance the night away. The word itself is short for “promenade” a word that can be used to describe “movements in ballet and ballroom dancing,” (Kennedy, History).
In light of San Pasqual high school’s 2025 Prom, we have asked some of San Pasqual’s teachers and staff to look back on their own prom experiences. With that being said, here is a flash from the past into SP staff’s prom memories.
Ms. Byrnes attended prom in 1975 and 1976 with her boyfriend. She skillfully made her own dress and bought her boyfriend a boutonnière (the flowers men clasp to their tuxes). After prom, her parents made breakfast for all her friends.
Ms. Sanchez attended prom in 1985 with her date. She got ready for the big night at home with her sister who did her makeup for her. Her shoes were dyed to match her dress, and her date wore a grey suit with the boutonnière she bought for him. The big song of the night at their prom was “Reasons” by Earth, Wind, and Fire.
Mr. Parker attended prom here at SP in 1985 and 1986! His junior year, he went with a close friend, and during his senior year, he went with a girl he’d dated for a few weeks. Both years, they went to eat with friends and rented a limo. The song of the night at his senior prom was “Never Tear Us Apart” by INXS.
Ms. Duran attended prom in 1993 with her significant other. After getting ready, she went to Benihana’s for dinner – unfortunately, her reservation was lost, so she ended up being late to prom. Her prom was at SeaWorld, and her favorite activity there was dancing – though they were only allowed on the pavilion.
Mr. Smith attended prom in 1994 and 1995 with his significant other. Mr. Smith recalls that “One year we went to the mountains and went 4 wheeling and at lunch at the top of Willard Peak in northern Utah.” Also, despite knowing Mr.Smith would have taken them to any place to eat, his date chose Wendy’s; and feeling bad for them, Wendy’s “comped our meal.” The song “Lady in Red” by Chris de Burgh was played a lot, though this was not Mr. Smith’s favorite.
Mr. Goodwin attended prom in 1995 and 1996 with a significant other. He got ready by preparing dinner, hotel room reservations, tuxes and a limo. An interesting part of prom night was a hotel party with over sixty people! Song of the night was “Lady in Red” once again.
Mr. (Rod) Rodriguez attended prom in 1996 with friends. He and most everyone at his school got ready by themselves and also drove themselves to school. “I remember walking into a men’s wear house and telling them I needed a tux,” he states, “but I didn’t really know what that entailed. Most of the people at my school were first generation, and our parents’ sense of style wasn’t very American.” From the prom venue itself, he also recalls, “There were armed SWAT officers at the door… no idea why, but we saw them around often, so it was not a big deal.” Song of the night was “No Diggity” by Blackstreet and Dr. Dre, and Mr. Rod remembers that “there were no filters on any songs” and that “no one cared.”
Ms. Phillip attended prom in 1998 with a significant other, and the theme was “My Heart Will Go On” – a nod to the Celine Dion song sang In Titanic, which came out just the year before. Ms. Philip got her hair, makeup, and nails professionally done, and for pictures, the photographer told her to stand on a milk crate because her date was 6’4”. At the venue, there were casino tables where the guests could gamble for prizes.
Ms. Akers attended prom in 2002 with a large group of friends, and her date was a friend. She went dress shopping with her best friend and on the day of prom, she got ready at her house and met at another friend’s house where their dates met them to take pictures before going to eat-out in downtown San Diego.
Mr. Milholland attended prom in the years 2004-2006 with his date, though not someone he was dating. To get ready, he bought his tux ahead of time, made flowers in floral culture, made reservations for dinner, and organized a limo or party bus. Other interesting stories from his prom night include how his “…school offered a post prom at the local bowling alley… A place for students to hang out till 4 am without drinking and driving…” Mr. Milholland ended up winning a TV one time, and a stereo the year after.
Ms. Cantu attended prom in 2008 with the theme “A Night out on the Safari.” She went with her friend Josh Vasquez. To get ready, she borrowed her sister’s dress and curled her hair. At the venue, the best activity was getting to see the animals and getting to ride the carousel. They got to see animals up close, including a cheetah; Ms. Cantu states, “My friend wanted to pet the cheetah, but the zookeeper said no [and that] her fur was rough like ‘a cheap rug,’ so she wasn’t missing much.” Country music was played at her prom.
Ms. Buttweiler attended prom in 2008 with a date, recalling, “My boyfriend broke up with me two weeks before prom.” To get ready, she dress-shopped with her mom and grandma, got ready with her friends at her house, took pictures with the boys, then got in a limo headed to the venue. This prom was especially significant because she “…went to a private school and we were the first class allowed to dance… we did ballroom dancing.”
Mr. Moreno attended prom in 2009 with the theme “Light up the Night”. Moreno had gone to prom accompanied by his significant other. During his night, he and his friends had taken a photoshoot as a group and ate at BJ’s before heading to prom. His partner had taken a day trip to go shopping for a dress. The song of the night was “Day N Nite by Kid Cudi (Crookers remix).” Mr. Moreno’s favorite activity during prom was dancing! An interesting memory he had was when he and his friends snuck in glow sticks that were wrapped around their bodies whilst they reenacted a scene from the movie “White Chicks” with Terry Crews dancing.
Mr. Whirledge attended prom in what he refers to as “the end of an era.” Going with a significant other to a Beach Sand-themed prom, he had a good time listening to the band and dancing. Some memorable songs were “Loves Me Like a Rock” by Paul Simon, “You Make Me Feel Brand New” by The Stylistics, and “Jungle Boogie” by Kool & the Gang. An interesting memory from prom was playing “beach volleyball until after midnight.”
In summary, the prom of yesterday looks very different from today’s prom — and yet, it has continued to be a memorable experience for teenagers. Perhaps someday, we too can look back on these memories, fondly remembering the moments we shared together. And to all of the teachers and staff who participated in this survey, thank you all so much for taking the time to remember and share with us your prom experiences!
