Network Staff speaks out:
“So, who
are you going to ask?”
“What does
your dress look like?”
“What time
are pictures?”
“Has anyone
made reservations?”
The pre-prom
buzz in the halls of Marian seems the same as any other year. Talk of boys, beauty, boutonnières.…and
breathalyzers?
Marian has
unveiled a new policy of testing for alcohol use among all the students who
attend both prom and post prom. A breathalyzer test will be administered to
every Marian student and her date. If the test has a positive result (that is
if a student were to “blow” above a 0.0), actions will be taken by the
administration.
This new
policy has created quite a stir amongst the juniors and seniors attending prom.
Many feel this to be an invasion of our rights or an accusation of action that
has not yet happened. Girls are worried
of what reputation this might give Marian as a whole; what does it say about
our school if everyone needs to pass an alcohol test before being
admitted to a simple dance? And heaven forbid we have to wait in a line
before getting our groove on.
While these
concerns may be valid, the main point of the policy is being lost amongst the
meaningless groans. The administration is not trying to ruin our fun or bust us
for drinking. Although the latter may ensue, their main reason for the alcohol
tests is safety. Safety is the reason our “rights are being stepped upon” or
the reason we are “being accused.” Marian simply does not want to see any of
its students, or anyone, for that matter, hurt. And, unfortunately, past
experiences surrounding prom have given more than enough reason to administer
these tests.
We can
complain and grumble about the “injustice” being done to us in the form of the
breathalyzer test, but is it really that bad? The answer: no, of course
not. Suck it up and deal with it; prom should be a night to enjoy the company
of others while dancing, not an annoyance that creates negativity. A simple
solution to ease your worries? Don’t drink.
However,
while the test may be a necessary safety precaution and for our own good, the
administration could have presented the policy in a better light. The huge
emphasis that has been placed on the breathalyzer, along with the almost accusatory
nature the school has deemed their reason for the test, have proven to make
this year’s prom seem uninviting and less than fun.
We, as a
newspaper staff of seniors, support the policy, but not the attitude that seems
to accompany it. Perhaps this new testing could have been introduced in a way
that doesn’t make it seem as though the administration believes us to
inherently drink. A few people have ruined our credibility in the past, but it
is important to remember that not all Marian girls plan to drink the night of
prom.
So yes,
there may be a line outside the Scholar building, and yes, it may take an extra
minute or two to get inside, but the positive effects of the new alcohol
testing far outweigh this small negative one. Prom is prom; it will still be as
fun as every other year, maybe even more fun this year with the absence of
obnoxious guests. And if you feel that drinking is the only method of fun, stay
home and don’t make it Marian’s responsibility or liability the night of prom.
After all, a happy, sober girl in a prom dress is a lot prettier than an
indignant, drunk girl in a prom dress.