My student! well...kind of! =)

http://www.nwi.com/articles/2009/05/02/news/porter/doce2ffc5c1dc523f93862575a9007fa516.txt

Cost of prom dress: zero dollars -- Memories: priceless

By Annette Arnold
annette.arnold@nwi.com, (219) 548-4359 | Saturday, May 02, 2009

PORTAGE | Jessica Sobocinski's dress was like no other Friday at the Portage High School prom. It wasn't full of lace and frills. It wasn't beaded, with a slit on the side.

Instead, it consisted of water bottles, newspapers, magazines and newspaper bags. Her dress completely was made of recyclable materials.

At the beginning of the school year, Jessica, a senior, came up with the idea to wear a dress to consist of recycled materials. Her family's kitchen table was covered with all the materials for weeks as Jessica constructed the dress.

"I have really become aware of the environment," Jessica said. "And I wanted to make something that shows that. I want to save the planet and I'll start with this dress."

Jessica's parents, Shawn and Bob Sobocinski, became involved in the project and started saving recyclables.

"My daughter goes crazy with recycling," Shawn Sobocinski said. "She's an environmentalist in the making. The dress is very cool and different."

At first, her mother wasn't too sure of the idea and couldn't picture how the dress would look. But once Jessica started putting the pieces together, it all made sense, and her parents said they are proud of her efforts.

"This definitely saved us a lot of money because she spent nothing to create the dress," Shawn Sobocinski said.

Jessica's purse matched her dress and is made up entirely of newspaper bags. She did the same with her garter. Her date, Nate Livingston, will be in a tuxedo, but his tie will also be made out of newspaper bags Jessica created.

The final touch to Jessica's outfit for the evening was her flowers -- dandelions from her front yard.