Most high school students have
extremely high expectations for prom. How else would they justify spending
hundreds of dollars on their clothes, tickets and flowers? People want to get
what they pay for, and more often than not when it comes to prom, they’re not
disappointed. Despite this, proms rarely end up being the perfect, magical
dream nights people want them to be.
This year’s WMHS junior prom was no exception.
Prom started off
just as anyone would expect. Students started arriving at the Woburn Hilton at
around 6:30 at night. After waiting to take their professional photos and
mingling amongst themselves, everyone was let into the ballroom at 7:00. Students
ate dinner and played a party game. By the time the dancing began, everything
had gone according plan. Little did anyone know, all that was about to change.
At about ten
o’clock, things took a turn for the unexpected. As the prom goers slow-danced
in a cliché fashion to “Iris” by The Goo Goo Dolls, trouble started brewing.
Out of nowhere, the fire alarm began to go off. The flashing lights and sirens
went unnoticed at first, but people eventually caught on. Woburn prom veteran
DJ Dan kept his cool, cracking some jokes and insisting the whole thing was a
false alarm. Another slow song was played to make up for the awkward moments
students might’ve missed out on. Unfortunately, the uncomfortable swaying was
interrupted yet again by DJ Dan, who told everyone to evacuate.
Imagine the
chaos that ensued at this point. Barefoot girls in flimsy dresses rushed to
find their purses and shoes. When all essential belongings were collected, the
crowd poured out of the hotel lobby, into the cold and rainy night. Dates, by a
hilarious presentation of either universal chivalry or the domino affect (you
decide), quickly fumbled to give their shivering dates their jackets. Selfies
were taken. Laughs were had. Then, after some awkward standing around, the okay
was given to head back inside.
Thanks to some
heroic firefighters, the selfless staff of the Woburn Hilton, and the best and
brightest of Woburn High’s own faculty, everyone made it through the Great Prom
Fire of 2014. The prom picked up again as if nothing had happened. DJ Dan,
keeping it real as always, played “Fire Burning” by Sean Kingston. Students
resumed dancing and having fun. There are several conspiracy theories as to why
the alarm went off, the most realistic being smoke in the kitchen. Other more
imaginative theories include people smoking in the bathroom and the teachers
pulling the alarm to search peoples’ bags. What really happened? How many licks
does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop? The world may never know.
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