The Observation Deck

I heard a story this past weekend from a couple of youngsters who attend LHS. They were talking about the dances and the rigmarole they have to go through just to get in (searches, breathalyzer test, metal detectors...oh my!) and to top it off you can only attend the LHS dance if you are a LHS student. I was kind of amazed by this. I am not as old as dirt (80's grad...is that dirt age yet??) and while I know I would sound old-timey to talk about the ridiculous search procedures I do have to do a double take about the LHS student only bit. Has that always been the case? I find that surprising, especially in a densely populated town like Lakewood where kids could go not only to LHS but a variety of private schools.

Is this policy for all dances or just Homecoming? So if Cindy the LHS student dates a dude named Rob from St. Eds, he would have to stay home on her Prom night?? That seems a tad ridiculous.

Or am I hearing things wrong. Kids these days.



Phil

Just homecoming.

Because all grades attend that dance. When you have 2100 kids in the tiny gym the last thing you want to do is allow more than the enrollment to come in.

BUT...

alumni are allowed in. That's if they're under the age of 21.

the winter formal, known as snowball, and prom are the only dances you can bring someone from out of the school as your date. All you have to do is get a form signed by their parents, with emergency info (just a phone number) and then signed by one of the administrators at their school that they acknowledge that the student coming into LHS is a well behaved student. I had a date from outside of LHS both junior and senior year of snowball, and for prom.

I've never seen breathalyzer tests given out at any dances. Freshman year we had the Mardi Gras dance, where a handful of students spent the dance barfing in the bathroom, while three or four ended up in ambulances and one senior decided to pee all over the dance floor because the excess beer had nowhere else to go. It was the greatest dance ever, we all had a blast (no pun intended), but thanks to the stupid few they got rid of the dance for the next three years of our high school experience.

Prom was a ton of fun, because luckily everyone was sober and behaved. I don't think anyone wanted to screw that "important" dance up for the rest of the graduating class so that's probably why they all behaved well.

Personally, I just wanted to remember it the morning after.

Phil Florian wrote:I heard a story this past weekend from a couple of youngsters who attend LHS. They were talking about the dances and the rigmarole they have to go through just to get in (searches, breathalyzer test, metal detectors...oh my!)

Is this policy for all dances or just Homecoming? So if Cindy the LHS student dates a dude named Rob from St. Eds, he would have to stay home on her Prom night?? That seems a tad ridiculous.



Phil

Phil

If all parents did their job, much of this would not be needed. However, the students(not all, but enough) have proven time and again, that these things are needed.

As you provide us with a nearly impossible scenario of Cindy, let me try one too.

Head of SADD, goes to the LHS Mardi Gras dance, so drunk that he/she exposes themself, while emptying their bladder on teachers/chaperones. He/She gets sent to the principal office where let's say 33 other drunk students, have been sent and are now projectile vomiting in anything or on anything in the room, while waiting for parents.

Now let's go one step further, the head of SADD is told they cannot graduate and will be suspended. Their parents, outraged that their child cannot graduate with the class hires lawyers to sue the school. To help pay for the lawyers the students sell bright orange shirts at a cost of $20 each that profess "hanging with their friend priceless." and sell over 300 of them! Now the students decide to wear all of them the same day is a show of support, which brings the high school to a standstill. In the end, the school caves, and the student graduates.

Another impossible scenario?

What would administrators expect having a Mardi Gras dance?

Cindy!

So maybe through our two extremely different equally impossible scenarios, we can see the need for some of these measures. Right now at this point in time. Respect is earned, lost and returned very, very, very slowly.

Besides, I thought you were a film buff. Ever watch West Side Story? Ever see King Rat when they let the POW men, finally fratinize with the women prisoners!

FWIW


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