Highschool Proms scheduled on a weekday night

[Racket_Man]

here is an article on a NY highschool that plans to hold its Junior and Senior Proms on a week night rather than on a weekend night such as Friday or Saturday. the assumption is that this will cut down on the after Prom "partying" at hotels, cut down on the underage drinking, and the "stuff " that happens after prom.

http://www.parentdish.com/2010/04/14...s-the-point%2F

Given that proms even in my day had the "after" Prom "activities going on, is this a good or bad idea.

I know that some schools hold their proms AT the school and the kids are "locked in". where I live that seems to be the norm. but at my HS in a larger Mid-Western city, we held it at one of the larger hotel ballrooms (very very elegant hotel) for a specific time period and afterwards you were free to do whatever.

[fireheart17]

For the Year 12's, our formal (australian term for prom) was held mid-year and on a Thursday. Most other schools did theirs at the end of the year. So why did we do ours mid-year?

1) To get rid of the people who only wanted to stick around for the formal. (it worked-following the formal, there was a huge drop in numbers)
2) Blow off the steam following mid-year exams.

Since our end of year festival involved "schoolies" (basically a weekend at any location where people generally get drunk and party...drinking age in Ausland is 18) it made more sense to have the formal, then leave the end-of-year celebrations for Schoolies.

Best moments of my formal were...

-The guy who won the Party Animal award kissed our principal.
-The guy who won the Most Athletic award had people trying to tell him to "take it off!" (his shirt)
-My best mate and I both won the Smartest and Most Likely To be Future Principal awards. Given that the Hollywood tape had pretty much given up on me, I had to hold my hand across my dress when I bowed with my friend so my boobs wouldn't fall out.

All of those were voted by students, the King and queen by teachers.

[Plaidman]

Oh boo hoo hoo. Some teenagers have to go to a party with their date on a day other then fri/sat? So what? Teens will still make love, still drink, will still fight, and still find where people live and egg their houses. It doesnt really fucking matter what day the prom falls on. If teens want to cry, big deal. Worst things in the world.

[McDreidel09]

I think it kinda sucks for the people who had to put it together, go get ready, go to the dance, then clean up. It's a lot harder to do on a school night. My school had Friday before Prom off and the Junior class (who puts on the prom) had to go in Friday morning, work all day, still come back Saturday morning to put on the finishing touches, go get ready, come back for prom, and then clean up afterwards. Well, since our Prom was on a Saturday, we could come back on Sunday to clean up, but if they have school the next day, then they have to clean up right after and that could take them into the wee hours of the morning.

And doesn't it, I dunno kinda cut into the time they could study? Unless the teachers were nice and didn't give them homework.

And anyway, since when did a weekday keep kids from doing stuff?

[Greenday]

Kinda pointless if you ask me. If my prom would have been on a Thursday night, I still would have gone out and done stuff afterwards. I just would have not shown up Friday to school.

[muses_nightmare]

My prom wasn't on a weeknight, but in Junior high all of the dances were on weeknights because they didn't want people to go out partying after. (not that that stopped people)

[AdminAssistant]

Oh noes, teenagers might go out, party, maybe even have sexual relations!!! As McD said, a lot goes in to setting up a prom. When I was a junior, we spent most of Thursday night setting up decorations (in the lovely cafetorium), went to school a half-day on Friday, then left to get hair/makeup done, nails done, get dressed up, take a gajillion pictures, maybe go out to eat, go to the prom, then maybe go do something after. I don't remember what we did after my junior prom, but after senior prom my bf and I went out to eat with another friend and her date. Then we went back to my house and watched movies. (Well, until the other couple fell asleep, at which point the bf and I snuck back to my room, but whatevs.) Most of my friends did pretty much the same.

Let kids have their fun is all I'm saying. Up a police presence, hold parent-sponsored prom after-parties if you want. But having a prom on a weeknight...as Greenday said, you'll just have low attendance the next day.

I feel the same way about graduation parties. When I graduated about 20 of us went to a friend's relative's house way up in the hills and most of us stayed for 2 days. Yes, there was a lot of drinking and debauchery but our friend's relatives were keeping an eye on us and making sure we didn't hurt ourselves or anyone else. Some schools do mandatory after-parties or trips...nu-uh. I just graduated. I don't wanna party with my teachers and I don't wanna party with the classmates I don't like, I wanna party with my friends.

[Greenday]

I liked how the Monday after Senior Prom was Senior Skip Day. My school seemed to be sick of it so they threatened to suspend anyone who skipped. I told my mom, "You mean if I skip school Monday, they'll give me another day off!? Woooooooo!" She just laughed, wrote a note saying I was sick, and my school didn't do anything. And the administration wonders why we never took any policies seriously.

[muses_nightmare]

Some schools do mandatory after-parties or trips...nu-uh. I just graduated. I don't wanna party with my teachers and I don't wanna party with the classmates I don't like, I wanna party with my friends.

It wasn't mandatory but my school had what we call a "dry-grad" which is just a big party set up in the local arena. Pretty well all the graduating students went, because it was actually fun. They have themes every year, mine was Mardi Gras. and you can win prizes and such (I won a waffle iron :P) and you stay up all night just hanging out with your friends and classmates. There's just no alcohol or anything like that.

[Greenday]

It wasn't mandatory but my school had what we call a "dry-grad" which is just a big party set up in the local arena. Pretty well all the graduating students went, because it was actually fun. They have themes every year, mine was Mardi Gras. and you can win prizes and such (I won a waffle iron :P) and you stay up all night just hanging out with your friends and classmates. There's just no alcohol or anything like that.

We all went for the food and stuff. Then around 3am when they let us out we partied.

[NorthernZel]

I don't think that'll help one bit.

In Denmark, we have some "traditions" called "P-day" and "J-Day", referring to the days when the major breweries launch their Easter and/or Christmas Brews. The breweries always arrange "launch parties" in several bars and pubs where free samples are given out.

Until some years ago, the launch parties were always done on a Thursday night, to prevent binge drinking.
But alas, that didn't keep people away from getting hammered and call in sick from work/school the following day, so now the launch parties are scheduled on Fridays instead.

[BookstoreEscapee]

My prom (1993) was on a Friday, at the Princeton Marriott (which is a good 45 minutes away from the school). If you were going to the prom you got to leave school early.

I just wonder how many kids just won't be at school the next day.

[Red Panda]

I don't think this'll make much of a differance. If people want to party then they will party. I think a better solution would be be to hava after party like the graduation in lotta places. An after prom party run by parents with prizes and food and stuff might help keep people from going to other parties.

[DrFaroohk]

Not sure how it works elsewhere, but in my high school we had to pay for our own prom. I say the people paying for it get to decide what day its on.

Plus it won't matter anyway because as has been pointed out already, most people will just skip school the following day anyway.

[Racket_Man]

Not sure how it works elsewhere, but in my high school we had to pay for our own prom. I say the people paying for it get to decide what day its on.

Plus it won't matter anyway because as has been pointed out already, most people will just skip school the following day anyway.

We paid for our own prom but it was decided by the class officers/prom committee where and when it was held (proms in my day were always on the weekend like Fri or mostly Sat night). they looked at various venues and choose one and scehdule it

as for skipping school the next day, I think the article pointed out that some schools are enforcing a "YOU MUST be in school the nex day or be suspended/disciplined" type of policy