Senior Zaili Gantt stands at a rack of prom dresses in Room 236 on March 29. Gantt organized the CCHS Prom Dress Drive as a way to provide students with free dresses for prom. “I think it’s really important because, for girls at least, prom dress costs are probably the most hindering thing and why they don’t go to prom,” Gantt said. “I really want everyone who can go to prom to go to prom because it’s going to be a fun night and I don’t want anyone to not be able to experience that.” Photo by Aza Khan
The CCHS Prom Dress Drive took place on March 29 in Room 236, giving students an opportunity to find affordable dresses.
A rack of sparkly dresses shimmers as students walk through the door, excitedly whispering about what to pick.
Senior Zaili Gantt hosted the Clarke Central High School Prom Dress Drive in Room 236 on March 29 in order to help students find a dress for prom, which will take place on April 23 from 7:00-11:00 pm in the CCHS courtyard. Students came to English department teacher Erin Horton’s classroom, where Gantt set up a rack full of prom dresses of all shapes, sizes and colors.
“(Coming in) at first, you see a bunch of dresses and you get excited, and then there’s a bunch of colors you can pick from and choose from, as well. (You can find) which size doesn’t fit, which does fit. It was pretty fun,” freshman Maria Garcia said.
Freshman Maria Garcia looks at the free prom dress selection for the CCHS Prom Dress Drive in Room 236 on March 29. Garcia believes that the Prom Dress Drive was significant because it allowed her and other students to dress up and boost their confidence. “I think because most of the time, some prom dresses can be a bit expensive, so it’s a good chance for people to (try on) pretty prom dresses and feel themselves,” Garcia said. Photo by Aza Khan
Gantt coordinated the event to provide students with an opportunity to pick out a free prom dress, allowing them to avoid purchasing a dress, which can often be expensive for a black-tie event like prom.
“I know I had a lot of dresses that I wasn’t gonna use anymore, and I was gonna sell them but I was like, ‘Why would I sell them? I’ll just give them away.’ Then I decided to make a quick flier in math class, and I just posted it on my Instagram,” Gantt said.
To junior and Dress Drive attendee Sophia Baker-Johnson, the Prom Dress Drive allowed students to find their perfect dress without the cost.
“Prom is a really important event in high school, and some people don’t have hundreds of dollars to spend on a prom dress, and thrift stores might not have the most up-to-date dresses,” Baker-Johnson said. “It’s nice to have a school help (with) functions.”
A student stands in front of a clothing rack full of dresses in Room 236 on March 29. According to senior Zaili Gantt, who organized the event, finding dress for every body type for the CCHS Prom Dress Drive was the most difficult task, but she is working to improve it. “(The most difficult thing), which is still kind of challenging, but I think we can fix it, is having a lot of dress sizes right now,” Gantt said. “We have a lot of smalls, like fours or sixes, and we have a few larges, but we don’t really have in between, which is a problem. I really want to be inclusive.” Photo by Aza Khan
The Prom Dress Drive is something Gantt hopes to continue after spring break and into the coming years.
“A lot of people still want to donate dresses, so I’ll have another date where people can pick up dresses, maybe sometime after spring break, so people can go browse as they please,” Gantt said. “I want to pass it on, (and) I think if it was done through a club, it would be a little bit more organized but also more people will hear about it.”
