Sunday, May 07, 2000

Chaperones monitor safety at post-prom events

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Sponsors say it's worth all the work

        NEWPORT — Prom season is upon us, and we all know what that means: frozen-chicken bowling.

        Okay, maybe some of us don't know.

        Prom is still the night for limos, corsages and dresses that make teen-age girls look like divas. But increasingly, it's also about elaborate parties in which the same girls and guys get to act like giddy 10-year-olds.

        After the big dance, they pull on shorts and T-shirts and head to school. From roughly 1 to 5 a.m., they climb obstacle courses, play laser tag and swish down giant slides. They get snapped around by bungee cords and stuck to Velcro-covered walls.

        Girls show up in fancy prom hairdos, only to pull on protective headgear and bop each other with giant boxing gloves.

        At Newport High School last Friday, partygoers even bowled with a frozen chicken, whose fat started flying around after five or six rolls.

        “It's like a big old block party,” said Rachel Seibert, 16, looking flushed from a round of gladiator jousting.

Carol Humphrey, has two daughters attending Newport High's prom (Patrick Reddy photo) | ZOOM |

        Parents and teachers began throwing after-prom parties in the mid-'80s to keep teen-agers safe and sober. Some have become practically professional in size and scope.

        At suburban high schools in the Cincinnati area, parents raise tens of thousands of dollars to provide four hours of alcohol-free fun. The money goes for food, games and prizes, which typically are given away every half hour.

        Anderson High School's grand prize is the lease of a car for a year.

        At Mason High School last Saturday, students were entertained with horse-and-carriage rides, a tattoo parlor, caricatures, astrology, laser tag, a giant slide, casino games and more.

        Next Saturday at Sycamore High, the fun will include a transformation: Gyms, classrooms and even bathrooms will be decorated to represent various holidays. In addition to games and prizes, students will enjoy a haunted house.

        Whew. These parents go all out. It's as if they're not only keeping students safe but also releasing years of bottled-up creativity. When their kids got too old for birthday clowns, they were bummed. “We kind of feel like this is our last chance to "wow' them before they're gone,” says Debbie Dill, a Sycamore parent.

        It's tough to gauge the impact on after-prom safety. Federal highway officials say they've never studied the issue. But parents are encouraged by the percentage of prom-goers who attend.

        Sycamore expects 1,000 students this year, which probably represents about 85 percent of those who attend prom, Ms. Dill says.

        Newport High is a much smaller school. About 200 students attended prom this year, and 150 bought $3 tickets to the after-prom.

        They didn't seem to mind all the teachers and parents running games.

        “Most of them are adults we know, who we hang out with — teachers who are cool,” said Ray Radcliff, 17.

        At 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, band teacher Scott Taylor sat on the ledge of a dunking chamber, talking trash to students wielding softballs.

        “Who is that? Sarah? Okay, I'm in good shape. I'm not going anywhere,” he said.

        Newport parents launched their event three years ago, after students began renting hotel rooms to have their own parties.

        “The first time we had to do a little convincing — "Please, let us prove to you that you can have a good time coming to the high school, doing things that don't involve alcohol,'” said Barb Scott, who coordinates the party.

        They succeeded, which has led to a lot of work. From January to May, parents meet weekly to plan. Every year, the gym ceiling is disguised by plastic tablecloths, which are 100 feet long but only 40 inches wide. This means a lot of stretching and stapling for a few lucky volunteers.

        Party rules are strict: students who leave before 4:30 a.m. must sign out, and their parents get a phone call. But the fun keeps them coming back.

        Karen Samples is Kentucky columnist for the Enquirer. She can be reached at 606-578-5584 or ksamples@enquirer.com.

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