Safety on schools' minds as pranks and proms heat up

Some graduating high school seniors spend this time of year skipping school, pulling dangerous pranks or drinking at parties and after proms.

Seniors at Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons School in Schenectady, however, might spend the wee hours of the morning after their prom donning inflatable sumo wrestler costumes and staging mock battles.

ND-BG's "after-prom" event from 1-5 a.m. and its accompanying sumo contest is just one of the activities Catholic high schools in the Albany Diocese are using to keep students safe, sober and supervised as the school year ends.

This year, the Diocese is also participating in "Parents Who Host Lose the Most," a public awareness campaign designed to teach parents about the risks of sponsoring parties where underage drinking is allowed.

Life lessons

"Our educational process starts when students are freshmen and continues through senior year, for both parents and students," noted Joseph Grasso, principal of Bishop Maginn High School in Albany.

Maginn High includes lessons about the dangers of alcohol and drugs in both theology and health classes, and also sponsors speakers through its parents' association who ask families not to host parties where they allow high-school students to drink.

Some of the speakers are from local law enforcement. "The police come in and speak to parents about their side," said Mr. Grasso. "They have a 'pulse' on [illegal] activities outside of school and how to eliminate them."

Alcohol and teens

According to Cathy Golas, director of Prevention Services for the diocesan Catholic Schools Office, that message is becoming even more crucial.

Her office periodically gets calls from area schools, asking for speakers to address the student body after some students arrived at a dance or event already under the influence of alcohol.

This time of year, said Ms. Golas, offers many opportunities for students to drink. The "Parents Who Host Lose the Most" campaign notes that, even under parental supervision, it's illegal for high school students to drink -- and that parents risk legal action if they permit underage drinking in their homes.

Taking care

Mr. Grasso said that Bishop Maginn's proms are held at the school and at a local country club rather than at one of the large hotel chains that often host such events, so that students are protected from outsiders who might "infiltrate" the prom.

Students are also confined to the area in which the prom is held and are not allowed to go outside to parking lots or cars.

"We're careful when they're entering an event: People at the door are watching to see if they're under the influence of alcohol or drugs," he added. "The kids know it, and they're not stupid enough to do it."

Prevention

Both Mr. Grasso and ND-BG principal Richard Bayhan admitted that some students will engage in risky behaviors despite all attempts to educate and protect them.

But, "we've been pretty lucky, the past two years in particular," Mr. Bayhan remarked, explaining that the school has not had a problem with either underage drinking or destructive pranks.

He believes that warning the students about consequences is a good deterrent. Seniors who might be tempted to act out in their last days of high school know that pranks and drinking are illegal and the school would prosecute them; they would also not be allowed to participate in graduation ceremonies.

"Just a moment of being stupid can cause a lifetime of headaches: injury from accidents after drinking, having college admissions rescinded, having a criminal record," Mr. Bayhan noted.

ND-BG sent home information with students about the "Parents Who Host Lose the Most" program, and also mentioned the need to keep an eye on students at this time of year in the school newsletter sent to parents, he added.

Alternatives

Mr. Grasso said that Catholic schools in the Albany Diocese practice what they preach about the dangers of risky behavior. If students at Bishop Maginn act out "beyond the norm of irresponsibility," he explained, they can be suspended for up to five days.

However, every effort is made to provide alternatives to drinking or other dangerous acts. For example, the principal said that his school eliminated the tradition of "senior skip day," when many seniors skip school, by sponsoring a "senior activities day" when seniors can dress down, attend a special Mass, and participate in a wide range of sports, games, movies and other activities instead.

The school hasn't had any problems with seniors' rebellious behaviors in "many, many years," he added.

Mr. Bayhan said that nearly all seniors at ND-BG attend the school's after-prom at the local YMCA, rather than going off to drink or joyride. The students say they love the basketball, swimming, DJ and games that are available, he stated.

Warnings

Mr. Grasso noted that Bishop Maginn teachers use news events as teaching opportunities -- for instance, pointing out the tragedies that often befall students who drink and drive.

"I'm not so naive as to think there aren't some students who'll use alcohol or drugs," he said. "You stress the fact that they're illegal; a lot of times, kids don't think about that part. And you hope that with the proper education, they'll use their time wisely."

(Handouts from "Parents Who Host Lose the Most" note that parents can be fined $2,500 and spend a year in jail for giving alcohol to persons under 21. Parents can also be sued if those minors are given alcohol and consequently hurt themselves, others or property. The hotline to report underage drinking is 1-866-UNDER21.)

(6/9/05) [[In-content Ad]]