A parent-organized grad night could be a nice change of pace, but would it really work at a school our size?

Imagine if Country Day had a graduation party like Rio Americano’s. It’s June 7 and the senior class of ’07 has just graduated, but instead of heading to a friend’s house, the students’ parents rent out Country Club Lanes for a night of bowling, laser tag, and dancing.

But there’s one problem: Country Club Lanes won’t have a “lock down” (as they call it) for fewer than 200 people, and our senior class has 28.

Not to mention it would cost $4,000-10,000.

If the juniors were invited, we’d only be up to about 50 people, assuming that everyone came (which they probably wouldn’t).

We could invite the whole high school (which would still be less than 200), but then the party would basically be an extension of prom.

No senior wants the party turned into a highschool even, especially right after they’ve graduated.

At schools like Rio Americano, a parent-run graduation party makes sense because the graduating class is so big. It would be impossible to have a party at one person’s house.

Country Day doesn’t have this problem, so it seems senseless to waste money and time on an unnecessary party.

Public schools spend all year organizing the party, have committees within committees to put it together and, ultimately, spend hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Because schools like Rio are so big, they are able to make money back by charging the 300 or more seniors $50-60.

At Country Day we would have to charge ten times as much, or the party would have to be based on donations.

Even if the parents found the perfect location to suit our small school and money wasn’t an issue, it still wouldn’t be worth the effort because most seniors wouldn’t go.

Whether the parents like it or not, we are a school that prides itself on traditions, and our grad night happens to be one.

Most students want the freedom to choose whether or not they will drink on grad night. If this privilege was taken away, they would want to do it even more—whether it was before the organized party or afterwards.

We understand the parents’ concerns, but there are already certain precautions to ensure the students’ safety, while allowing them their freedom. At the traditional grad night, keys are taken and breathalyzers are used to make sure students don’t drink and drive.

If the seniors were forced to move their party to another night, these safety measures wouldn’t exist.

Going beyond whether or not students should drink, our current grad night is exactly what we want. It’s more relaxed than an organized party, allowing students to be with their families, and then come to the party.

Also, alumni and friends from outside of the school come to the party, giving the seniors the opportunity to be with everyone they were close to in high school.

After all the organizing that goes into the graduation itself and whatever party their parents may plan later, seniors want their graduation night to be a time to relax with their friends, sign yearbooks, and have a good time. A structured party could not provide the same experience.

Why dream up a new party when the seniors like the party the way it is?

It seems senseless to work so hard to fix a problem that doesn’t exist.