Frontiersman

WASILLA — As summer approaches and school comes to a close, a teenager’s attention turns to his or her high school prom. Young adults flock to prom for what they see as their one last chance to get in on a red carpet affair.

For a group of students at Burchell High School’s prom on Friday, the build-up to the big night was as much an adventure as the dance itself.

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In February, three Burchell students entered and won a poetry contest put on by Mila Carlson, owner of Mila’s Alterations and Boutique, with one goal in mind — winning free prom attire.

Carlson, a supporter of alternative schools such as Burchell and Valley Pathways, said she put on the contest to give students a chance to feel and look their best.

Eric Larson and Sharon Hernandez, both 17, entered their personal poems not expecting to win, but walked away with hundreds of dollars in clothing vouchers to spend on prom attire at Mila’s, beauty shop services and dinners at local restaurants.

Larson’s poem, an homage to coming out as a gay teen, especially touched Mila, who awarded him first place in the contest and a shopping spree at Burlington Coat Factory in Anchorage.

“I need more boys’ clothes,” Mila said. “I really admire the drive these kids have. They’ve faced so many challenges and I want to help wherever I can.”

For Larson, prom will be the final farewell to his high school years and the tribulations he’s endured along the way, he said.

A former Palmer High School student, Larson said he went through a rough spell last year that included a series of bad grades and experiences. He said at Burchell he’s received one-on-one teaching, less criticism of his sexual orientation and a sense of ease. A junior at Burchell this year, he is now on the honor roll.

At Mila’s last Tuesday, Larson said his plans are to take his boyfriend, a Palmer High School student, to prom, along with two of his girlfriends from Burchell.

“It may be tricky,” he said. “[His boyfriend is] not out of the closet yet and so it may be awkward. We’ll see.”

Sharon Hernandez said she wanted to look like a princess.

In her poem s, Hernandez describes her fairy tale of floating across a ballroom floor with her prince, leaving behind her average life for a short time and being glamorous — even just for one night.

“I like this one,” Hernandez beamed, pointing to a ruffled pink dress hanging at Mila’s. “It is very princess, isn’t it?”

Hernandez had a $100 prize voucher towards a new dress to help with her royal look on prom night. The pink polk dot dress Hernandez had been eyeing price-tagged at more than $440. Not one to say no, Mila decided to cut her a deal: Work for Mila in her shop for a couple of Saturdays and the dress is her.

“Prom’s a must,” Hernandez said. “I’m going with girlfriends, which is what I did last year. No offense to the guys at Burchell, but I’m taking my best friend again.”

Hernandez had spent a majority of her middle school years as a homeschool student, due in part to missing school while living with heat disorders. Not wanting to miss out on her high school experience, Hernandez enrolled at Burchell. To her, it was an easy decision.

“Burchell has a reputation of being the school where druggies hang out and girls have babies,” she said. “It’s not like that. This is a really good school.”

“She wants to look like a princess, we’ll make her one,” said Carlson, fitting Hernandez in her new pink dress. She would pick out her perfect shoes and flawless accessories later.

With the style in place, Hernandez and Larson went their separate ways until prom night.

“I’m not as nervous as I thought I’d be, going with my partner and all,” Larson said. “We’ll see.”

Months earlier, Burchell High School and Valley Pathways faculty decided to enhance the experience at the schools’ joint prom by making the event a good time to party without drugs or alcohol.

Burchell student counselor Tara Moore started a pledge drive in 2007 asking students to participate in a drug- and alcohol-free prom night. Distributing pledge forms around Valley Pathways and Burchell, high schoolers were asked to show a general concern for themselves and their friends on prom night by attending the event sober.

Pledge forms suggested students should “party hearty, but to do it sober.” The pledge also asks students to think before they accept a ride home from somebody who has been drinking or using. As an incentive, each form came with a raffle ticket, where participants had a chance to win haircuts, photo packages and cool sportswear on prom night.

Pyann Nelson, a student counselor at Burchell, said 35 of 250 students from both schools took the pledge, a number that could have been higher, but still welcomed.

“I think there are still some stigmas to making that kind of commitment on prom night,” Nelson said. “But I think it’s getting better. Everyone has their opinion. It’s a great school full of great students.”

Friday morning at Burchell, students put the finishing touches on the gymnasium’s decorations. Burchell’s prom night theme, “Medieval Masquerade,” mixed the fantasy world with the contemporary inside the school’s walls.

Cardboard castles, sparkled unicorns and huge ribbon- and balloon-filled fountains littered the small gymnasium. Long strings of white lights and dazzling streamers were strung. Outside, an 8-foot eye mask adorned the awning leading into the school.

With the stage set and classes dismissed at 1 p.m., students scrambled to get their outfits primped, hair styled and prepared to get their groove on.

Then it was prom time.

By 3 p.m., things weren’t looking too bright for Larson. His friend had phoned and said he wouldn’t be able to attend after all. His grades were too low and he was on restriction.

“I don’t mind, really,” Larson said. “I’ll try to have fun, no matter what happens. I’ll still be going with my good friends.”

With plans now changed, Larson said he would leave prom early, return home in the early evening and watch movies with friends.

But isn’t long before he’s having second thoughts.

“I’m sort of excited,” he said. “I have a foreboding feeling about the whole thing. I get the sense that something bad is going to happen. My mom’s taking me in her car. With the date thing, he might not come. Then there’s five policeman controlling the place, which is awkward. I don’t feel like going to the bathroom and having them watch.”

For Larson, a hectic week of up and down emotions, along with nagging doubts, has hit a peak. Dressed in a simple black and white three-piece suit, he decides to head out the door and make the most of his prom.

“I could move next year, so I kind-of looked at this as my last chance, really,” he said.

At 7:30 p.m., students began to arrive. Principals and staff from both schools greet the teens stepping out of their limos and cars. Each student is visually checked off to make sure he or she is sober, pledge form or no.

Inside, the music belts out the hip-hop and dance hits of the year from the floor speakers. Many mingle, but few take the bait.

Not the least bit dismayed, Hernandez and her friends take to the dance floor immediately. Her pink dress twirls to the music as she adjusts the tiara resting atop her head.

“It took me two hours to get ready,” she said. “Ten minutes alone just to get into this dress.”

Larson, dressed to the nines in his Renaissance-esque suit, arrives drinking his Red Bull. He gabs with friends, fixes his shirt and introduces a girlfriend to his date, who was eventually allowed to attend after all.

“He got to come, which is nice,” Larson said. “We put a lot of effort into making prom happen here, so yeah, it’s the biggest thing of the year.”

As the night progressed, dates, friends and family filled the school. For some it was all about romance, for others a thing to do on a Friday night. Emos, jocks, intellects and the other cliques found in high school mingle, perhaps for the first time for some.

For Burchell and Valley Pathways’ staff, all of the kids came with a common interest — to dance until dawn, look fabulous doing it and enjoy a night to remember.

“The prom brings these guys together to do something that doesn’t involve drugs or alcohol,” Moore said. “It’s a cool thing to see.”

“Everyone should go to their prom and feel like a princess,” Hernandez said. “It’s one of those things that if you don’t, you may regret it.”

Contact J.J. Harrier at valleylife@frontiersman.com, or 352-2269.