A new type of prom

While these new procedures will try to make it safer for students, it will also take away some of the experience of prom. Now students will remember the breathalyzers rather than hard work students put in to make the prom happen. What about letting teens be teens? The new precautions are also telling students, "We don’t trust you to make good decisions.”

Aragon was one of the first schools to start the use of breathalyzers at a school dance. Aragon purchased two breathalyzers used at its mid-winter dance in March. An Aragon school newspaper article by Jessica Mao wrote about the issue and the dance’s lowest attendance in years. Mao speculated that the low attendance was caused by the breathalyzers at the door. The breathalyzers scared students away from attending when they could go party somewhere else. Aragon also used the breathalyzers at its prom last weekend.

Another issue now is that even though the school is trying to protect students, it is forcing them to find alternative options. On prom night, many teens are determined to drink even if it means sneaking alcohol into the dance or drinking as soon as the dance is over. At proms these past years, limos aren’t enough for students. Now students take large yacht buses, or "party buses” to prom. They act as a club on wheels where students can have fun before and after prom, and typically with alcohol. With the breathalyzers, many students have said they will just leave the prom early if the officials are so strict. Either way, the students will be drinking, whether it is while they are at the dance or after the dance is over.

Burlingame High School is using breathalyzers this year for the first time. The school has purchased four breathalyzers, which cost the school about $400 each. Burlingame’s prom takes place on Saturday evening, April 21, at the San Francisco Design Center Galleria. Many students planned out their evening to travel with large groups of people to enjoy a night of dancing and drinking. Students around the school were gossiping all week about the breathalyzers and if the school would check every single person. There will probably be students who test the school and end up getting caught. Burlingame claims that any student who comes up positive on the breathalyzer will not be allowed to enter the dance. The school is also preparing for long lines at the entrance because checking each student will take at least 15 seconds per a student.

This is a new beginning for many schools as students change their partying tactics. Students aren’t able to do the things they used to do in high school. Instead of having some fun in high school, all of the fun will have to wait until college.

Vanessa Harvey is a senior at Burlingame High School. She can be reached at Vanessa@smdailyjournal.com.