Couple ‘stuck’ in contest

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VERSAILLES — Two Versailles High School seniors are competing for scholarships in the 16th Annual Duck® brand Stuck at Prom® Scholarship Contest.

Noah Pleiman and Jenna Frantz are among the finalists announced in the competition in which public voting for the top Duck Tape® prom designs has begun. They are Couple No. 4 in the top 10 finalists.

Students from across the United States and Canada spent countless hours creating big and bold, one-of-a-kind prom apparel to win their share of the more than $50,000 in scholarship prizes. The Top 10 couples and Top 5 singles entries are chosen and now it’s time for the competition to heat up.

And, Pleiman heard about the scholarship and asked Frantz, who was to be his prom date, to “give it a shot.”

“Noah and I are just friends,” Frantz said. “We knew we were going together to the prom. We have been friends for years.”

She obliged, and they started brainstorming in late February/early March and planned for their design.

“We built the whole thing we envisioned we were wearing to the prom,” Frantz said. “We got together and realized that hot colors not used in the past were pink and glitter pink. Our design was very unique. I never saw a mermaid gown quite like that. We were going for creativity and originality. Our color scheme was pink and white, and we used light pink and dark pink with glitter.”

The actual work on the apparel began when they design plans were finalized.

In all they used 39 rolls of Duck Tape® in 207 hours.

“Noah worked on his own suit, and both of us worked on the dress,” she said. “We worked hours and hours on end, 10 hours a day sometimes. It was a crazy process.”

She said Noah bought an old suit at Goodwill and covered it with the tape, whereas his vest was purely of Duck Tape®.

“For my dress, I went to Joann Fabrics to get material and a pattern, and Mom and I worked on the pattern,” Frantz said. “I put on the dress, and Nick and Mom duck taped it to me.”

They also received helped from their parents – hers, Don and Sonya Frantz, and his, Mark and Michelle Pleiman.

She estimates they saved $150 apiece on their prom attire.

She had to take her dress to the school before the prom and get dressed there.

“The dress was very uncomfortable,” Frantz said. “I couldn’t walk well and couldn’t sit down. After everybody took their pictures, I changed into my prom attire.”

The seniors are planning to further their education, Frantz set on getting her bachelor’s degree in nutrition at the University of Dayton and Noah majoring in engineering at Purdue.

So the scholarship money to be awarded will be a big help to both of them.

“It’s a scholarship for $2o,000 and we could get $10,000 a piece,” she said.

It was reported that after using Duck Tape to decorate Jenna’s crutches and make a shoe for Noah’s art class, the idea of making Duck Tape look like actual prom attire was a fun challenge.

“From the very beginning, we both shared the same inspiration and vision for the ensemble,” officials were told. “The theme for our prom was Paris, which is fashion-forward, bold, and elegant. This is reflected in Jenna’s mermaid-style dress with cascading ruffles, modernized lace, and the classy clear back design. It is also reflected in the bold choice of glitter pink for Noah’s suit collar, tux stripe, and the two-toned vest with inverted lace. We chose the youthful color scheme and implemented glitter Duck Tape® into the design to modernize the lace’s classic style and give the outfits our own personal flair. We accomplished our overall goal, as many people could not even tell that our outfits were made out of Duck Tape®! This scholarship opportunity was a unique experience for us both and we hope you enjoy it. Thank you for your votes!”

It was noted that every year, a panel of judges carefully reviews and evaluates each submission for workmanship, originality, use of colors, accessories and use of Duck Tape®. Though narrowing the field of entries down to the top finalists is no doubt a difficult task, the intricate designs and artistry of each of the outfits set them apart from the rest and blew the judges away.

“I was in complete awe when I saw these stunning ensembles,” said Ashley Luke, category manager, at ShurTech Brands, LLC, the company that markets the Duck® brand. “It’s extraordinary how much detail and creativity the students put into their Duck Tape® prom outfits. We want to recognize these creative individuals for their hard work and passion for Duck Tape®, and hope that the more than $50,000 in scholarship prizes encourages them to pursue their dreams.”

The grand prize winners will each receive a $10,000 scholarship, the second-place students will each receive $5,000, and third-place winners will each receive $3,000. The remaining seven “runner up” couples will each receive a $1,000 prize. Additionally, the Singles Category winner will receive a $1,000 prize.

Visit stuckatprom.com now to vote for your favorite outfits and view the entire 2016 Stuck at Prom® gallery, Polls are open until noon on July 6, and accept one vote per day for both the couples and singles candidates. Check back on July 13 to see who will be crowned as the 2016 Stuck at Prom® Scholarship Contest winners. May the most “promtastic” Duck Tape® outfits win.

The public has now until July 6 to cast their votes for Frantz and Pleiman, Couple No. 4, at stuckatprom.readysetpromo.com/vote-cat1.html?__entry=6949757

https://www.dailyadvocate.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/web1_ducktapewearWEB.jpg
Versailles seniors’ prom wear on ballot

By Linda Moody

[email protected]

This writer may be reached at 937-569-4315. Follow her on Facebook and join the conversation and get updates on Facebook by searching Darke County Sports or Advocate 360. For more features online go to dailyadvocate.com.

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