Prom season is upon us, and as the posters and pizzas asking dates appear in droves, girls discuss dresses, and guys discuss dates, MHS staff and parents have been vocal about prom as well. Voicemails have been sent out and announcements have been made discouraging the popular transportation method of party buses. Rumored to be centers of inappropriate and even illegal behavior, this dance choice faces harsh criticism from MHS higher-ups and parents alike.
In the message discouraging party buses as well as after parties, the MHS administration states outright that they do “not support the use of party buses.” They reasonably point out that a “serious health incident or mistake in judgment by one student can put the entire bus at risk.”
However, it seems like students aren’t seeing the risky side of their prom plans. Despite the protests from staff, it looks as though the number of groups who opt for a party bus is on the rise. When asked why party buses are increasingly popular, one MHS junior said they “only include the people that you are actually friends with so you know who you are dancing with and feel more comfortable.” Another junior who plans on using a party bus for prom this year adds that party buses allows them “more freedom.”
Desiring the freedom to play the music and be with the people you want makes sense. However, unsupervised party buses are notorious for things like inappropriate dancing, reckless drinking, and other unsavory or illegal activities. Believe it or not, prom used to be about dressing up, taking ridiculous amounts of pictures, enjoying a lovely dinner, and dancing like a fool with your classmates–not cramming your select group into an overpriced smelly bus with a stripper pole. Prom, with the help of private and unsupervised party buses, has turned into an excuse to party rather than a night to feel like royalty. Doesn’t this seem like a waste?
Everybody wants to have a crazy and fun time at prom. However, it is important to keep in mind that fun is not equivalent to risk. While certainly not every prom party bus is a mosh pit of immorality, they had to earn their reputation somehow. Party buses might be fun, but prom has the potential be a once in a lifetime experience, not just an excuse to drink and grind.