The “Celebration 2012” CHS After Prom party will be held at the Bowlmor Lanes bowling alley in Bethesda from 12:30 to 4 am this year instead of in the CHS gymnasium.
The PTSA, which provides all of the funding and volunteer work to help organize After Prom, presented the idea for a new location to the senior class officers.
“Many other area high schools have held their After Prom parties at a similar upscale bowling venue like Bowlmor, and with great success,” PTSA committee chair Sandy Liss said.
According to 2011-2012 PTSA President Geri Shapiro, many members felt that attendance at the After Prom at CHS had been decreasing in past years so they decided that a switch might give students a more fun experience.
Bowlmor Lanes offers a much more updated atmosphere with 35 glow-in-the-dark bowling lanes and multiple larger video screens.
The event will still provide similar activities, however.
“Seniors can count on playing at the many casino tables, or capturing Prom night with photobooth,” Liss said. “There will also be raffle prize winners, a baby picture collage wall, bowling tournament and more prize giveaways like a flat screen TV.”
According to senior vice president Brenna Means who attended the Wootton After Prom at a bowling site last year, the different setting provides more options to have fun for the same price.
“It gives off a better feeling for a more collective class,” Means said. “I have high hopes for it and I think it will turn out well.”
Students can either register online or bring a check to school and to make the process more efficient, instead of a ticket, students will only need to present a student ID to enter the After Prom.
In addition, the PTSA will continue to ensure safety with the help of Barwood taxis giving rides to any student in the event of an emergency situation.
According to Liss, CHS is part of the Montgomery County Project Prom Graduation (MCPP/G) coalition that provides a way for MCPS schools to exchange ideas to ensure a better, safer Prom and After Prom.
“The whole point of the After Prom is to keep kids off the road,” Shapiro said. “No matter where it is.”
However, there is only so much CHS and PTSA members can do to promote safety.
According to Means, the new site for the After Prom will only help keep students off the road to some degree.
“At some point, teenagers are going to leave when they want to because they have no boundaries,” Means said.
The PTSA, however, believes that the only way to ensure the After Prom will be a success will be by experiencing it.
“The senior class will just ‘roll with it’ and at the end of the party, we will fully understand whether it was a worthwhile endeavor making the switch in venue,” Liss said.
