Fairness at the Prom in Philadelphia Catholic Schools

We are all students currently attending high schools throughout the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. We see the rule requiring students to bring a date to the Junior and Senior dances as unfair. Since Catholic schools are often prided on their focus on the needs of students, we find it within reason to offer our request that, upon examining the following argument, the Office of Catholic Education reconsider the regulation.

For most high school students, the prom is considered the social event of the year. In the case of Seniors, it is the last time they will join together as a class before graduation. It should be a night that students will fondly look back on. However, for single students, the pressure of finding a date creates unnecessary anxiety. Although students might have good friends of the opposite sex willing to attend, it is not always possible to find someone who is available the night of the dance. In that case, the student will have to be set up with an acquaintance, a distant relative, or a friend of a friend. Attending a dance with someone a student hardly knows can turn what should be one of the best nights of their teenage years into an awkward, disappointing evening. Even for those who date, there have been cases of the date cancelling a few days before the event, forcing the student to find another date at the very last moment or risk not attending at all.

At school functions, with the exception of the prom, students have the option of attending alone or without a date. The assumption may be made, then, that the reason for making students bring a date is to make the event seem more formal. It seems unfair that some students must sacrifice their enjoyment of the evening for the sake of formality. Nor is the rule realistic, for few if any other formal events require a date to attend.

Also, because it is common knowledge to underclassmen that the Junior and Senior proms have the ordinance regarding mandatory dates, it is considered the norm at all dances to bring dates. Those who come alone sometimes feel embarrassed. However, if bringing a date was optional, students would feel less pressured to find a date and feel more comfortable attending alone.

Another positive aspect of making the practice of bringing a date optional is that single students who would not have attended will feel more inclined to come, thus boosting attendance.

Since students have control over many aspects of the prom, such as the theme and music, it makes sense that they would be able to choose if they wanted to go with someone or not. This would not bring about any problems for dating students, since they would remain free to bring their date. It would merely reach out to the many single students in the Archdiocese.

We kindly thank the Catholic Board of Education in advance for their response to our pleas, and request that they make their answer accessible to all the students of the Archdiocese.