Next Saturday, Sun Prairie will hold its Prom ....at the Monona Convention Center. That's right...not at our fabulous new gymnasium at the TajMah High school. We received this e-mail from a loyal reader. We think it raises some valid points. Certainly points to ponder. We don't mean to take away the "magic" from what is supposed to be a treasured moment in time. But at the same time, most of us enjoyed the camaraderie of decorating the gym. In fact, it made the event itself mean a little bit more. Times are tough and money is tight. Seeing as Sun Prairie just opened its ginormous awe-inspiring gym, we wonder if it couldn't have been held right here in town. Safer and less expensive. And maybe it might even have fostered a little "connectedness". N'est ce pas? Here's the e-mail received
Dear SP-EYE...
Had a discussion this week with a friend with a daughter who is a junior at SPHS. Seems that prom season is here. My memories of prom are renting a tux, driving my dad's car to take a date to dinner, and then to a dance at the high school gym. Not cheap but didn't break the bank either.
Well, prom these days has a whole new meaning. My friend told me that between the dress, limo, dinner, ticket and other costs, they are into prom for almost a thousand bucks...and that is going with a group to split some costs! Prom is held at Monona Terrace, not at the gym in the Taj Ma-high school. When I commented on the absurd costs, my friend said "I am convinced they set it up this way to keep the poor kids out." She was only being half facetious. When we have a school system looking at hiring a "diversity" person and we ahve a community with an obvious split between the "haves" and the "have nots" I think it is truly sad that the school supports such a prom. I am sure there are many under-privileged young ladies who would love to be able to attend their high school prom; things like this only serve to deepen the cultural (and racial) divide.
I am sure the "haves" enjoy taking pictures of their kids and thinking of a NYC coming out party but, seriously, shouldn't we be supporting a more inclusive type of prom...one that makes use of the gym...or is that just a time that has come and gone and I should get over thinking that things were better the way they used to be...seems I recall my dad telling me that once...
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