Prom

As a former newspaperman, I am astounded that a newspaper like The Times would devote major editorial space and even a lead editorial to such minuscule and utterly inconsequential trivia as a 16-year-old girl who didn't have a date for a high school prom but insisted on going anyway. And what may your readers now breathlessly await as a sequel? A full-page feature with banner headline when the kid starts going steady? No city editor I ever worked for would have given a moment's thought to wasting space on such nonsense, which might possibly belong in a high school newspaper but certainly not in The Times.

How much does the average family pony up for prom? A lot more than you'd think. Our friends at Visa, the credit card company, conducted a survey and determined that $1,078 is typical for the outfits, limos, parties and assorted goodies associated with the annual rite of passage for young people. "Prom season spending is spiraling out of control as teens continuously try to one-up each other," says Jason Alderman, Visa's senior director of global financial education.

Sherman Oaks high schooler Jake Davidson got an awesome wake-up call Wednesday morning as he found himself on the phone with Sports Illustrated cover girl Kate Upton, whom he'd recently very publicly invited to his prom - via YouTube. Chalk one up for "It never hurts to ask. " Upton had answered Tuesday afternoon via Twitter with a firm "maybe," saying, "You can call me Katie if you want! How could I turn down that video! I'll check my schedule. " Then the "Today" show snagged Davidson from bed in the wee hours Wednesday for a 7:45 a.m. chat about his video.

Walt Disney Studios is hoping to score a date with an audience it long has found elusive — teenage girls — with "Prom," a coming-of-age story that opens Friday. The $8 million film, among the first to be put into production by studio Chairman Rich Ross, is a more mature take on teen life than the "High School Musical" franchise he oversaw during his tenure at Disney Channel. But in adhering to the family-friendly Disney brand, "Prom" omits the naughtier aspects of the big night, specifically drinking and sex. Some question whether this chaste portrayal will ring true with the teen audience the studio is courting.

The trouble with prom today is that you have to deal with a lot of unreasonable people, many of them parents, who have Stone Age expectations about curfews and safety and who you're going to be with. The trouble with prom today is that some of the limos are Humvee limos. Others are merely Lincolns. That's the trouble with prom, having to ride in a Lincoln limo.

It's columnist Chris Erskine's (The Guy Chronicles, "Will Dad Ever Be Ready for the Prom?," May 16) fault that I was grinning from ear to ear in the doughnut shop this morning, and nodding in agreement to no one and talking to myself. Prom indeed! Chris, you are going to love the wedding. Thanks for the grins. DAVID A. PARK Hanford, Calif. Letters should be brief and must include the writer's name, address and phone number. Internet writers must also include name, street address and telephone number.

On prom night, Palisades High School had reason to dance. With a cheering section dressed in tuxedos and evening gowns, the Dolphins defeated Chatsworth, 15-10, 15-13, 15-4, Friday night at Pepperdine's Firestone Fieldhouse to win the City 4-A boys' volleyball championship. However, the match was closer than expected. "We were more interested in the prom . . . " said senior Kent Steffes, who had 11 spikes to go with 12 by Chris Pennell and 11 by J.B. Saunders.

There was something fishy about the San Diego League bash Saturday in the UC San Diego gymnasium. Not the atmosphere. That was vintage gym, a kind of eau de sweat sock, as it were. And not the guests. They were attired a la '50s prom, '50s punk or contemporary black tie. The fishy note arose from the signs and banners in the gym that read, "Mill Valley High School Presents 'Enchantment Under the Sea.' April 26, 1955."