Stampede!

By Jonathan Lam on 03/01/16

Tagged: the-homework-life the-homework-life-thought

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I would be a student council officer for two reasons only: to have a leadership role for the National Honor Society, and to stop prom from soaking up all the students’ money. Because, as a whole, fundraising does eventually end up going towards our classes’ treasuries, which then proceed almost exclusively to prom.

The problem is that everyone loves prom. Some say it’s all what attending high school is for: dating, boys, prom. They don’t care that we fund prom in the long term— no, they encourage it. The student council leaders are adamant that it goes on, because that is what the people want. Even as a school budget cut resulting from a decreasing student population threatens to cut eight teachers, junior varsity teams, siphon 1.4 million dollars to incoming special-needs children, and ruin the chances of a school-funded bowling team, prom is an unnegotiatable thing that has to stay. I haven't heard any argument against it.

But I don’t agree. Prom is a singular-event that sucks in students' money. To start, each of the events (junior or senior) cost a good $50 to $100 a person. This doesn’t include formal dress. Or limousines. Or flowers. Or fundraisers. Or the potential breakup that may cost much more than money. It all is, in the end, a bunch of unnecessary waste, monetary or otherwise.

But society views otherwise, and I am the minority in a majority-dominated society. Too often, I am the salmon swimming upstream. I am Socrates against the mob mentality of ordinary people who live the pampered life of the American Dream1.

1: If you're wondering why this is so short, it is just to help me get back into the swing of writing. I have been too busy coding (with Node.js and solving Project Euler questions) and really need to improve my writing again. One major driving factor is the "Sophomore Speakout," an opinionated speech about … anything (school-appropriate). I need to practice my thought-provoking skills and the art of impactful writing.