’Net Junkie Shawn "Speedy" Lopes

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Prom contest
gets sticky with it

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Prom season may be winding down for most high-schoolers, but for some there's still time to get involved in Duck Tape's Third Annual "Stuck at Prom" contest. Each year, Duck brand duct tape hosts a competition for creative prom-goers, who are asked to assemble prom outfits from the company's wide array of colored duct tape. Last year, Duck Tape received 572 entries from around the country.

You can find Duck Tape's official Web site at www.ducktapeclub.com. This year, Duck Tape will offer a cash scholarship to each member of the first-place couple and to the school hosting their prom; lesser cash scholarship prizes will go to the teens of the second- and third-place couples, with equal sums awarded to their schools. Members of three honorable-mention couples will receive a Duck Tape sportswear package each.

As Duck Tape explains, judging is based on specific criteria, including workmanship, which accounts for 25 percent of the final score; originality, which accounts for another 25 percent; use of colors (Duck Tape boasts 17 of them) makes up another 25; plus 15 for Duck Tape accessories and 10 for quantity of tape used.

Winners will be selected July 1. In the event of a tie, the couples will be asked to answer Duck Tape's tiebreaker question, "How do you plan on using Duck brand duct tape in college?"

Click on to the "Old clothes: The archives" button to find photos of all the wild entries submitted over the past two years, including several depicting patriotic couples done up in the Old Glory motif (tip: stay away from this one this year if you want to score well on the originality scale; as with most teen fashion statements, what was novel two years ago is overdone in 2003), the "goth" look (again, eye-catching but not terribly original) and elaborate symmetrical designs (plus points for workmanship).

For Duck Tape prom pointers, click on "Prom tips: Advice from a duct tape diva," which reminds prom-goers that getting one's parents to fund such an outrageous getup can be easier than one might imagine. "Simply compare the cost of about 30 rolls of duct tape with some of the formals featured in the prom magazines," it reads. "Dad will be driving you to the hardware store himself!"

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’Net Junkie drops every Monday.
Contact Shawn "Speedy" Lopes at slopes@starbulletin.com.

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