From hosting elaborate after-prom parties to placing wrecked cars outside high schools, school officials in Howard County are doing more than ever before to prevent drunken driving on prom night.
Officials say recent teen driving tragedies have prompted an aggressive two-pronged approach: remind students again and again - and as graphically as possible - about the dangers of drunken driving, and at the same time provide a safe alternative to alcohol-drenched private parties.
For the first time, all 12 county high schools are holding after-prom parties, noted Mary Ellen Creasy, vice president for Howard County's PTA Council and coordinator of after-prom efforts countywide.
While Oakland Mills, Mount Hebron and Hammond have been holding after-prom parties for six, eight and 11 years, respectively, most schools, including River Hill, Atholton, Glenelg and Wilde Lake, started the tradition within the past three years, she said. Marriotts Ridge, which has juniors for the first time this year, is holding its first after-prom party.
The trend really took hold three years ago, when representatives of school PTSAs began getting together several times a year to compare notes, said Creasy. Since the goal of the parties is to entice students to stay in one alcohol-free place after the prom, the events tend to be both elaborate and inexpensive for students, often $5 or $10 for admission, food and entertainment.
Long Reach High School will hold the county's first prom tomorrow at Martin's West. It has rented out Life Time Fitness in Columbia for its after-prom party. In addition to letting those who attend use the pools, hot tubs and exercise equipment, the event will include movies, karaoke, dance classes and photo booths.
Atholton, Hammond, Howard, Reservoir and Wilde Lake are taking over the AMC movie theater at The Mall in Columbia, and Mount Hebron's party will be at Dave and Buster's in Arundel Mills mall.
Lynne Javier, co-chair of Howard High School's after-prom party, which, like the parties at other schools, is sponsored by the school PTSA, said the school held its first after-prom party three years ago after a student was killed in a car accident on homecoming weekend. The accident was not alcohol-related, but it did make people think about teen safety, particularly in relationship to the prom.
"We just started talking about kids and safety and all sorts of things," said Javier. The school's first after-prom party was held the next spring.
To put the event together, Javier relies on about 60 parents to work at the party, baking cookies, running the karaoke machines or manning the chocolate fountain. More parents are needed to set up beforehand and clean up afterward.
Javier estimates event costs at about $10,000, including $3,600 to rent the movie theater. Students pay $5, which covers everything from food to movies to arcade games and door prizes.
That means most of the money comes from donations.
Though students typically wait until the very last minute to buy after-party tickets - so they can see what their friends are doing - Javier expects as many as 400 to attend this year.
Many promgoers are grateful for a good time and a safe venue, noted Creasy, who added that even abstaining partygoers can get into trouble if police break up a private party at which alcohol or drugs are used. "Sometimes the after-prom is exactly what they're looking for, to hang out with their friends in a fun celebration," she said.
But after-prom parties are just part of the effort.
Schools are holding assemblies to remind students of the dangers of driving after drinking and are placing severely damaged cars on school' front lawns as a reminder of how serious crashes can be.
This year, the Columbia office of Liberty Mutual has arranged for the wrecked cars and donated $1,000 in cash to each high school, plus $300 in gift cards that can be used as prizes to students who attend the after-prom parties.
Mark Mangus, sales manager of the Columbia office, said he was inspired to support school efforts to curtail unsafe driving after a friend of his daughter was killed while speeding on his last day at River Hill High School in 2003.
Although that incident did not involve alcohol, Mangus said, "it rocked the school and my daughter down to their foundations."
Through his insurance company, Mangus is placing wrecked cars at each high school and is organizing Jaws of Life demonstrations at Atholton and Centennial, he said. The cars will be at the schools the week before the prom. "We really want to raise the awareness of the kids," he said.
"When I brought this up, I took it to my bosses; they were 100 percent supportive of it," he said.
At Long Reach this week, students going to tomorrow night's prom attended a 90-minute assembly on the dangers of drunken driving. They saw a video with testimony from Maryland teens about their experiences with car crashes and legal troubles because they drove drunk. Two of the teens in the movie had killed someone in drunken-driving crashes, and the room grew silent as they told their stories.
They also heard from Howard County District Judge Pamila Brown, as well as a young man on probation, who told of his drunken-driving arrest. As they walked into the assembly, students were given a "prom promise" stating, "I will not use alcohol at the prom," to be signed by students and parents.
Though students groaned that they had heard the warnings before, and some talked to one another throughout the assembly instead of paying attention, many said they would heed the message.
"I don't get into that anyway," said senior Kyle O'Neal, 18, referring to alcohol use. "I'm going to go to the after-prom."
"It's something we hear every day," said Norril Higgins, 17, a Long Reach junior. He plans to attend the after-prom party, then go toanother party after that, he said..
Jourdyn Miller, 17, a junior, also said she plans to go to the after-prom party. The assembly, she said, "is a good thing to have. I think it's an eye-opener for a lot of people."
Long Reach Principal Edmund Evans believes most teens want a safe, alcohol-free place to go after the prom and are grateful when it is provided.
"A few will pick it up," he said of the safe-driving message being promoted around the county this prom season. "They want to pick it up."
PUBLIC SCHOOLS PROM SCHEDULE
The places and times of the public school proms and after-prom parties:
Atholton Prom: May 12, Baltimore Radisson, 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. After prom: AMC Theater, The Mall in Columbia, 12:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m.
Centennial Prom: May 5, M&T; Bank Stadium, Baltimore, 8 p.m. to midnight After prom: Columbia Gym, Clarksville, midnight to 4:30 a.m.
Glenelg Prom: April 28, Sheraton Baltimore City-Center, 8 p.m. to midnight After prom: Columbia Gym, Clarksville, 12:30 a.m. to 5 a.m.
Hammond Prom: May 5, Sheraton Baltimore City-Center, 8 p.m. to midnight After prom: AMC Theater, The Mall in Columbia, midnight to 5:15 a.m.
Howard Prom: May 11, Turf Valley Resort, Ellicott City, 8 p.m. to midnight After prom: AMC Theater, The Mall in Columbia, 12:30 a.m. to 5 a.m.
Long Reach Prom: Tomorrow, Martin's West, Baltimore, 8 p.m. to midnight After prom: Life Time Fitness, Columbia, 12:30 a.m. to 5 a.m.
Mount Hebron Prom: April 28, Martin's West, Baltimore, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. After prom: Dave & Buster's, Arundel Mills mall, 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.
Marriotts Ridge Prom: May 12, Hyatt Regency, Baltimore, 7 p.m. to midnight After prom: GenXaret, Columbia, midnight to 5 a.m.
Oakland Mills Prom: April 28, Savage Mills Mall, 8 p.m. to midnight After prom: GenXaret, Columbia, midnight to 5 a.m.
Reservoir Prom: May 18, Riggs Alumni Center, College Park, 8 p.m. to midnight After prom: AMC Theater, The Mall in Columbia, 12:30 a.m. to 5 a.m.
River Hill Prom: May 18, Baltimore Radisson, 8 p.m. to midnight After prom: River Hill High School, midnight to 5 a.m.
Wilde Lake Prom: May 19, Science Center, Baltimore, 8 p.m. to midnight After prom: AMC Theater, The Mall in Columbia, 12:30 a.m. to 5 a.m.
(Source: Howard County school system)