COVER STORY: JUNIOR/SENIOR PROM

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 a er 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 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 a er only a few hours into the prom, most of the students had le 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 a er-hours activities were o en contrary to Christian norms and morals.

PROM

KELLENBERG STYLE

by Brother Michael Gillen, S.M.

Brother Michael taught at Chaminade from 1977 to 2003. He has been teaching Christian Humanism to juniors at KMHS since 2003.

WHEN one of the Queen of Peace residents thinks back to her high school prom, the first things she remembers are that she attended the prom with her future husband and that her friend inexplicably wore the same fluffy dress as she did. That was in 1954, the same year that Marilyn Monroe married Joe DiMaggio and "From Here to Eternity" won the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture.

On the first Saturday of February, approximately 70 Queen of Peace residents had a second chance at enjoying a prom when a group of over 100 Kellenberg Memorial and Chaminade High School students helped organize a junior-senior prom, with a "Mardi Gras" theme, at the Queen of Peace Residence in Queens Village, New York. The residence is operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor. "I think this is fabulous that they did this, it's a very nice time," said one resident, adding she noticed right away a difference between proms in 2016 and proms in the 1940's. "I noticed when I went to my prom that the guys didn't dance; you had to drag them up there. But these guys? They're dancing like mad!" One resident said he still remembers his prom, "I went with my girlfriend; it was a memorable night that I'll never forget.” He said attending this year's prom was special. He added, “The best part of this event is being with the young people, it's a great time. It is just fun!"

From birth until death, “every stage of life is sacred,” noted Little Sister of the Poor Patrice. She serves at Queen of Peace Residence, where the Little Sisters dedicate their lives to the mission of caring for the needy elderly until the end of their lives. “Each man is made in the image and likeness of God,” agreed Sister Gabrielle, “however poor he is, however degraded he is.”

The Little Sisters were founded in 19th-century France by Sister Jeanne Jugan with the specific mission of dedicating their lives in service to the poor elderly. In addition to the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, they take a fourth vow of hospitality. In 2009, Pope Benedict declared Sister Jeanne a saint.

The Queen of Peace Junior-Senior Prom was started in 1989. The schools decorate for the prom, create the corsages and take prom pictures. The music is provided by “The Irish Mist,” a live band featuring Kellenberg’s own, Alex Basile and Ronnie D’Addario. "Each year we pick a theme and then both schools get together to help organize and decorate the dance,” one Kellenberg Memorial student said.

For many of the high school students, the event was a great opportunity to learn from, and show appreciation to, an older generation.