cov e r s t o ry
THE SCHOOL
THAT CANCELED THE PROM by Mr. Alex Basile
Mr. Basile has been a teacher at KMHS since 1996. He presently teaches Senior Religion and is the Chairman of the Religion Department.
EVERY
November, I am invited to conduct a catechetical workshop for the Archdiocese of Newark at Paramus Catholic High School. Attendees at this conference are religious education teachers for grades 1 through 12. Without fail, at every workshop, one person will approach me and ask, “Aren’t you the teacher from the school that canceled its prom?” The conversation usually continues with praise on the importance of bringing stability to the lives of young people. Even more than ten years after the initial cancellation, there still is a buzz about “the school that took a stand against the culture.” When Kellenberg Memorial decided to cancel the prom, strong feelings were expressed on both sides of the issue. Of course, many students felt that an important rite (or maybe even better stated "right") of passage had been unfairly taken away. The 16
HEART & MIND
popular cultural notion certainly existed that the prom was an essential element of the senior year experience. However, there was a multitude in favor of the prom’s cancellation. When the press grabbed hold of this countercultural announcement, it became national news. Letters poured in from around the country. Most of the correspondence was positive and praised the school’s administration for canceling an event that had morphed into something that contradicted the philosophy of the school and its Christian values. Since I taught seniors, there was (what seemed like) an endless dialogue in class about the matter. Many students pleaded their case and hoped that the school would reverse its decision. I related my own experience of the Kellenberg prom. Every year, my wife and I attended the prom at EAB Plaza (now Rexcorp). The prom was held in the beautiful atrium. The DJ was set up on the ground floor
and food was served on the second floor. We began to notice that after only a few hours into the prom, most of the students had left the prom. By 9 p.m., the exodus west for Manhattan or east for the Hamptons was fully underway. The actual prom became the secondary part of the event. As a teacher, I noticed several negatives to the prom event. First, it had become a major expense. Students were spending thousands of dollars on a night that they really did not enjoy. Second, the pressure of finding a date for the night was difficult for many students. One of the best characteristics of Kellenberg is the relationships between the males and females without the pressure of dating. Many boys and girls are truly friends with each other. Third, the students were putting more energy into post-prom parties. These after-hours activities were often contrary to Christian norms and morals. continued on page 31
A K E L L E N B E RG M E M O R I A L FA M I LY P U B L I CAT I O N
