Comparing dresses, after-parties, dates, dinner and pictures seem to be the talk of not only Carlsbad High but also plenty of other high schools in the San Diego county–to name a few, LCC, Torrey Pines, Francis Parker, San Marcos and Scripps Ranch. What the majority of the high school population does not know is that the weekend before, a special, non-exclusive prom took place.

The Mormon church hosted a prom, known as the Mo-pro, which any teenager from ages 16-18 could attend. The event gave off a different vibe than the traditional prom as dancers seized the opportunity to rock their favorite sun dresses, and others got a second use out of their tuxes.

“It’s almost like an anti-prom when people go to get away from their real prom, but it’s more just to have fun. It’s for people that are into good music but not the grinding scene,” senior Emma Allen said. “There was swing dancing and other music outside, so there was an alternate dance to the alternate dance. I got to see a bunch of my friends from South County; I never get to see them because they go to totally different dances.”

The dance itself, which was hosted in Poway, was scheduled to start at 8 p.m. and end at 11 p.m., but the high schoolers were enjoying themselves and stayed an extra 30 minutes. Although half an hour sounds like no big deal, not one CHS student begged security to allow him or her to stay for 30 more minutes at prom.

“Oh Mormon Prom, it is just a lot of fun,” Remy Jones said. “In the San Diego county, there are two different dance counties. When you have Mormon prom, you bring together the North and South County kids. You can come with a date or come by yourself.”

Some teens took the traditional route and had dinner before the dance and took a limo, while others drove a car and took advantage of the free catered food.

“Mormon prom is not exclusive; everyone is invited to every dance the church puts on,” Jones said. “It is also a really great dating opportunity. A lot of Mormon kids do not know how to date, so it is really great for them. Plus, there is just this feeling that everyone there is there to have a really, really good time. No one is putting anyone down. We were just there to be friends and meet people and just have a fantastic time.”