By Tina Humphrey
The
Smoke Signal staff
High school is now over and a lot of seniors applied for every scholarship possible so they do not have to pay for their post-high school education.
Not many scholarships were available for me since I was not involved in many sports or activities, nor was I attending a specific college. Instead, I decided to put my creativity to use and apply for the Duck Brand Duct Tape Prom Contest.
Most students at my school, West Middlesex High School, are too young to have known Chelsea Jones. When I was only in eighth grade, Chelsea and her date strutted through Grand March in duct tape attire.
I enjoy art and am all about being creative, so I figured this scholarship would be perfect for me.
At the beginning of this long process, I researched everything I needed to know. I knew it would be a challenge, but I was ready for it.
Some might be wondering who could have entered the contest for the scholarship. Any couple of any gender who attended a high school prom and was 14 years of age or older may enter the contest.
If you are unsure of what this scholarship was exactly for or why I did it, then tune in. All you need is duct tape, which I am sure you have just lying around at your house, and if you want to make it a little easier on yourself, a tuxedo and a dress to tape over. That is what I chose to do, anyway. When I saw that Chelsea did it, I found it quite interesting and told myself that one day that would be me, not even knowing that it was for a scholarship. I stuck to my dream. It was my senior prom this year and I accomplished it.
The scholarships are available only to the Top 10 Finalists and include: first place, $3,000 (to each person involved); second place, $2,000; third place, $1,000; and all other seven runner-up couples, $500 each.
Another reason I decided to do this is because I thought it would be cheaper than actually buying a dress and everything else that goes along with it, and it was.
Entries for the contest started March 1 and ended June 7. On June 15, judges selected potential 10 Top Finalists. Once the finalists were chosen, you can help choose a winner by casting your vote online. Visit
www.stuckatprom.com to cast your vote or to check out others who have entered. Voting to the public began June 18 and runs through July 26. The winners will then be notified July 27 and will be posted the following day.
When the judges chose the finalists, they based their opinions on workmanship (30%), originality (25%), use of color (15%), accessories (15%), and the quantity of duct tape used (10%).
My date, Garrett Emery, and I attended our prom at West Middlesex High School in our version of duct tape apparel inspired by my favorite cartoon character Betty Boop.
After reviewing the rules, I had to come up with designs, which was not too hard. Then I needed a dress and tux to duct tape over. I found a dress I previously wore and shortened it and helped Gar buy a tux and accessories. The hard part came next. I knew it would be a difficult process, but I never expected to handle it so well.
My dress and Gar’s tux were not the only things that were duct taped. Everything else duct taped included: shoes, flowers, accessories (girl: a necklace, a ring, earrings, a bracelet, a hair tie, and a head band; guy: a hat and a belt), and a purse. Before I began the tux, I thought it would be easier than my dress, but my mind soon changed after I started working on the jacket.
To answer some more questions you may have… Yes, this was a hard project. It was very time consuming and I spent every night before prom for two months preparing. The total amount of money spent on everything was roughly around $140. The number of rolls of duct tape used was 22. If I had the opportunity to do it again, I definitely would. I do believe it is worth it whether I win or not, because I had fun doing it and I had the chance to look different.
Unfortunately for Garrett and me, we were disqualified for copyright infringement. I guess that part was my fault. But luckily for us, my mom contacted the Official Betty Boop Website and they loved our outfits. They even gave me permission to use them in the contest! Because rules are rules, we were still disqualified and they told us if we wanted to reenter, we had to change the outfits. The contest was not that important to me to change the outfits in only a short amount of time. When the Official Betty Boop Website offered to put us on their website, we were absolutely thrilled! I mean, who would not be?
People had the opportunity to check our outfits out for prom during our Grand March at the school. If they missed it, our outfits were also on display in the school art show. Although I did not enter the contest, nor win any scholarships, I think being on the Official Betty Boop Website is the best prize out there. I am so thankful for that! If you would like to see more pictures or for more information, stop by my Facebook “
Tinas Duck Tape Prom.”
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We hope you've enjoyed Tina's story. We think she did a beautiful job on her prom apparel. Let us know what you think!
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