The “PROM Expectations — Contract” has stirred a conversation at CPHS, eliciting different reactions from students. Some students appreciate the contract, as it warrants them a safe night. Others detest the contract, pronouncing it unneeded.

Prom committee president, senior Lexxi Clinton welcomes the contract, as it will prevent students from making bad decisions or suffering because of someone’s choice.

“In light of Shattered Dreams and the rate at which young adults die from drunk driving, the school should enforce the actuality of a drug/alcohol free prom,” Clinton said.

The contract was created and implemented by the administration as a result of  issues in previous years.

“I think the administration is being more conscious of our stress levels and how teens use drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism,” Clinton said.

One of the penalties of not abiding by the contract is the inability to walk at graduation, though Clinton does not feel like that will stop students from breaking the agreement.

“I personally don’t think they [students] will abide, but I think they should consider what is at stake if they make a poor choice and someone ends up hurt or in trouble,” Clinton said. “We all want to be able to walk at graduation.”

While Clinton may feel that the contract still allows prom to continue as it always has, many students feel that it stops them from embracing the true concept of prom, such as senior Robin Kay.

“It doesn’t promote the fun that prom is supposed to represent,” senior Kay said. “I don’t believe the school should regulate dancing unless it is something extremely vulgar. We’ve already signed a code of conduct before the school year began so that makes this contract redundant and more of a discouragement to attend.”

Though Kay will not be attending prom, he agrees with Clinton in that students will be more likely to bypass the contracts rules.

“I believe that it’s redundant to make us sign a contract in regards to our behaviors because any person with common sense should know what not to do,” Kay said. “Secondly, people are going to find ways to sneak things in anyway. We’re not in middle school, so why regulate a school function like we’re in middle school when the majority of us are 17 or 18.”

Kay is not alone in his thinking, as junior Reagan Sherrill shares similar thoughts about the contract.

“I mean I see how the intentions are good, but from how everybody I know is reacting, it’s not the best,” Sherrill said. “It’s kind of driving a lot of people away. Not because their intentions are to drink, but just because it feels like we’re all going to be “helicoptered” and that just makes kids uncomfortable in general. I don’t think it was the best way to go about things if they are trying to tackle that concept of kids drinking.”

Shattered Dreams aired last week, for students in all grades to watch and learn from. Sherrill feels that this has a larger impact in student’s choices regarding drugs and alcohol than the contract does.

“I am not really sure [about something else the administration could implement], but I think that Shattered Dreams happening just a couple of weeks ago should’ve hopefully impacted students when it comes to that,” Sherrill said.