Prom Night Antics? Not This Time...
Prom night is a big deal for many high school kids. It was not for me, as I was busy with other things in my life, at the time, and honestly, I did not want some hormone driven buffoon pawing at me all night. But Brother Kenneth Hoaglund, of Kellenberg Memorial High School, has cancelled prom. (HT: Captain Ed.)
http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/005618.php
UNIONDALE, New York (AP) -- Brother Kenneth M. Hoagland had heard all the stories about prom-night debauchery at his Long Island high school:
Students putting down $10,000 to rent a party house in the Hamptons.
Pre-prom cocktail parties followed by a trip to the dance in a liquor-loaded limo.
Fathers chartering a boat for their children's late-night "booze cruise."
Enough was enough, Hoagland said. So the principal of Kellenberg Memorial High School canceled the spring prom in a 2,000-word letter to parents this fall.
"It is not primarily the sex/booze/drugs that surround this event, as problematic as they might be; it is rather the flaunting of affluence, assuming exaggerated expenses, a pursuit of vanity for vanity's sake -- in a word, financial decadence," Hoagland said, fed up with what he called the "bacchanalian aspects."
"Each year it gets worse -- becomes more exaggerated, more expensive, more emotionally traumatic," he said.
"We are withdrawing from the battle and allowing the parents full responsibility. [Kellenberg] is willing to sponsor a prom, but not an orgy."
The move brought a mixed, albeit passionate, reaction from students and parents at the Roman Catholic school, which is owned by the Society of Mary (Marianists), a religious order of priests and brothers.
"I don't think it's fair, obviously, that they canceled prom," said senior Alyssa Johnson of Westbury. "There are problems with the prom, but I don't think their reasons or the actions they took solved anything."
Hoagland began talking about the future of the prom last spring after 46 Kellenberg seniors made a $10,000 down payment on a $20,000 rental in the Hamptons for a post-prom party.
When school officials found out, they forced the students to cancel the deal; the kids got their money back and the prom went on as planned.
But some parents went ahead and rented a Hamptons house anyway, Hoagland said.
Amy Best, an associate professor of sociology and anthropology at George Mason University in Virginia and the author of "Prom Night: Youth, Schools and Popular Culture," said this is the first time she has heard of a school canceling the prom for such reasons.
"A lot of people have lamented the growing consumption that surrounds the prom," she said, noting it is not uncommon for students to pay $1,000 on the dance and surrounding folderol: expensive dresses, tuxedo rentals, flowers, limousines, pre- and post-prom parties.
Best pinned some of the blame for the burgeoning costs on parents, who are often willing to open their wallets for whatever their child demands.
"It is a huge misperception that the kids themselves are totally driving this," she said.
Edward Lawson, the father of a Kellenberg senior, said he and other parents are discussing whether to organize a prom without the sponsorship of the 2,500-student school.
"This is my fourth child to go through Kellenberg and I don't think they have a right to judge what goes on after the prom," he said. "They put everybody in the category of drinkers and drug addicts. I don't believe that's the right thing to do."
Some parents waiting to pick up their children on a recent afternoon said they support Hoagland.
"The school has excellent values," said Margaret Cameron of Plainview. "We send our children here because we support the values and the administration of the school and I totally back everything they do."
Hoagland said in an interview that parents, who pay $6,025 in annual tuition, have expressed appreciation for his stern stand.
As a young lady who graduated from high school last year, let me assure our readers that, for the most part, kids are generally good. Of course there are a few bad apples; every school has them, especially nowadays. But for the students to get upset over this is idiotic. The school sponsors the prom, and ultimately they are responsible for what happens there. Unless they are strip searching the kids, there is no way to stop booze from being brought in. Unless they are issuing breathalyzer and urine analysis at the door, there is no real way to tell when somebody is entering the dance already drunk or high.
Based on personal experiences at certain parties I know a couple things about these substances. First, they are instant courage; those unwilling to do things sober suddenly find the rush of courage and boldness in their use of these substances. I cannot count the amount of times that I saw friends of mine get drunk, and do things they swore they would never do. Their logic: I am amongst friends, and they will not let anything happen to me. Right.
That brings me to my second point. Inhibitions are gone when one is drinking or using drugs. Again, I have seen a couple close friends give into their boyfriend’s pawing, and go to bed with the guy. (Two of my close friends ended up getting pregnant from nights like these; one was on the swim team with me. This mistake cost her a scholarship to UCLA.)
Last but not least is what happens after these sorts of parties are over. I know a few parents that during opur prom would host a post-prom party for their kids and their friends, and they would supply the booze. Most parents gathered keys, and told the kids to get comfy; they were not going home until the next day. But those that did not collect keys put their livelihood into the drunk kids’ hands. With their keys still in their possession, they could get behind the wheel of a deadly weapon. Nothing prevents them from getting in an accident and killing someone. And guess who is going to be hit in that lawsuit?
I applaud the good Brother for his concerns about the liability of the school, and his attempt to slow the debauchery that occurs around prom time. I wish more schools would do this in areas where they know teen drinking and drug use is prominent.
I live in Arizona. I read the police reports that are printed in our papers every week. A good part of drinking and drug related crimes in the area I used to live are done by teenagers. The substances are easy to get, and they indulge in it fully. And Lord forbid you try to counsel them about it. You are not allowing them to "have fun." You are "cramping" their style. They should have the right to do what they want.
You do, once you turn twenty-one. Drugs are not counted in that because they are illegal. But, as Sabrina pointed out earlier today, civilized society does have laws. Those laws are their to not only tell you what is and is not permissible in society, but they are also there to protect others. Rape is rape whether it is done on a date or not. And if you are such a loser that you have to resort to drugging your date, you rank on the lowest rung of the evolutionary ladder. I have more respect for a cockroach.
But I see no problem in this. I wish more stringent steps could be taken to ensure that the kids can still get together, and have a good time minus the immoral behavior. But we are only human, and we all have desires. However, as one of the last formal functions for a high school senior, or the biggest date of their sophomore or junior years, it should just be enjoyable. There is no need to inject things such as alcohol or drugs. They only lead the kids down a path that they, and possibly many others, might regret.
The Bunny ;)
Prom night is a big deal for many high school kids. It was not for me, as I was busy with other things in my life, at the time, and honestly, I did not want some hormone driven buffoon pawing at me all night. But Brother Kenneth Hoaglund, of Kellenberg Memorial High School, has cancelled prom. (HT: Captain Ed.)
http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/005618.php
UNIONDALE, New York (AP) -- Brother Kenneth M. Hoagland had heard all the stories about prom-night debauchery at his Long Island high school:
Students putting down $10,000 to rent a party house in the Hamptons.
Pre-prom cocktail parties followed by a trip to the dance in a liquor-loaded limo.
Fathers chartering a boat for their children's late-night "booze cruise."
Enough was enough, Hoagland said. So the principal of Kellenberg Memorial High School canceled the spring prom in a 2,000-word letter to parents this fall.
"It is not primarily the sex/booze/drugs that surround this event, as problematic as they might be; it is rather the flaunting of affluence, assuming exaggerated expenses, a pursuit of vanity for vanity's sake -- in a word, financial decadence," Hoagland said, fed up with what he called the "bacchanalian aspects."
"Each year it gets worse -- becomes more exaggerated, more expensive, more emotionally traumatic," he said.
"We are withdrawing from the battle and allowing the parents full responsibility. [Kellenberg] is willing to sponsor a prom, but not an orgy."
The move brought a mixed, albeit passionate, reaction from students and parents at the Roman Catholic school, which is owned by the Society of Mary (Marianists), a religious order of priests and brothers.
"I don't think it's fair, obviously, that they canceled prom," said senior Alyssa Johnson of Westbury. "There are problems with the prom, but I don't think their reasons or the actions they took solved anything."
Hoagland began talking about the future of the prom last spring after 46 Kellenberg seniors made a $10,000 down payment on a $20,000 rental in the Hamptons for a post-prom party.
When school officials found out, they forced the students to cancel the deal; the kids got their money back and the prom went on as planned.
But some parents went ahead and rented a Hamptons house anyway, Hoagland said.
Amy Best, an associate professor of sociology and anthropology at George Mason University in Virginia and the author of "Prom Night: Youth, Schools and Popular Culture," said this is the first time she has heard of a school canceling the prom for such reasons.
"A lot of people have lamented the growing consumption that surrounds the prom," she said, noting it is not uncommon for students to pay $1,000 on the dance and surrounding folderol: expensive dresses, tuxedo rentals, flowers, limousines, pre- and post-prom parties.
Best pinned some of the blame for the burgeoning costs on parents, who are often willing to open their wallets for whatever their child demands.
"It is a huge misperception that the kids themselves are totally driving this," she said.
Edward Lawson, the father of a Kellenberg senior, said he and other parents are discussing whether to organize a prom without the sponsorship of the 2,500-student school.
"This is my fourth child to go through Kellenberg and I don't think they have a right to judge what goes on after the prom," he said. "They put everybody in the category of drinkers and drug addicts. I don't believe that's the right thing to do."
Some parents waiting to pick up their children on a recent afternoon said they support Hoagland.
"The school has excellent values," said Margaret Cameron of Plainview. "We send our children here because we support the values and the administration of the school and I totally back everything they do."
Hoagland said in an interview that parents, who pay $6,025 in annual tuition, have expressed appreciation for his stern stand.
As a young lady who graduated from high school last year, let me assure our readers that, for the most part, kids are generally good. Of course there are a few bad apples; every school has them, especially nowadays. But for the students to get upset over this is idiotic. The school sponsors the prom, and ultimately they are responsible for what happens there. Unless they are strip searching the kids, there is no way to stop booze from being brought in. Unless they are issuing breathalyzer and urine analysis at the door, there is no real way to tell when somebody is entering the dance already drunk or high.
Based on personal experiences at certain parties I know a couple things about these substances. First, they are instant courage; those unwilling to do things sober suddenly find the rush of courage and boldness in their use of these substances. I cannot count the amount of times that I saw friends of mine get drunk, and do things they swore they would never do. Their logic: I am amongst friends, and they will not let anything happen to me. Right.
That brings me to my second point. Inhibitions are gone when one is drinking or using drugs. Again, I have seen a couple close friends give into their boyfriend’s pawing, and go to bed with the guy. (Two of my close friends ended up getting pregnant from nights like these; one was on the swim team with me. This mistake cost her a scholarship to UCLA.)
Last but not least is what happens after these sorts of parties are over. I know a few parents that during opur prom would host a post-prom party for their kids and their friends, and they would supply the booze. Most parents gathered keys, and told the kids to get comfy; they were not going home until the next day. But those that did not collect keys put their livelihood into the drunk kids’ hands. With their keys still in their possession, they could get behind the wheel of a deadly weapon. Nothing prevents them from getting in an accident and killing someone. And guess who is going to be hit in that lawsuit?
I applaud the good Brother for his concerns about the liability of the school, and his attempt to slow the debauchery that occurs around prom time. I wish more schools would do this in areas where they know teen drinking and drug use is prominent.
I live in Arizona. I read the police reports that are printed in our papers every week. A good part of drinking and drug related crimes in the area I used to live are done by teenagers. The substances are easy to get, and they indulge in it fully. And Lord forbid you try to counsel them about it. You are not allowing them to "have fun." You are "cramping" their style. They should have the right to do what they want.
You do, once you turn twenty-one. Drugs are not counted in that because they are illegal. But, as Sabrina pointed out earlier today, civilized society does have laws. Those laws are their to not only tell you what is and is not permissible in society, but they are also there to protect others. Rape is rape whether it is done on a date or not. And if you are such a loser that you have to resort to drugging your date, you rank on the lowest rung of the evolutionary ladder. I have more respect for a cockroach.
But I see no problem in this. I wish more stringent steps could be taken to ensure that the kids can still get together, and have a good time minus the immoral behavior. But we are only human, and we all have desires. However, as one of the last formal functions for a high school senior, or the biggest date of their sophomore or junior years, it should just be enjoyable. There is no need to inject things such as alcohol or drugs. They only lead the kids down a path that they, and possibly many others, might regret.
The Bunny ;)
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 12:44 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home