Mira Costa Student Government, or ASB, recently held the 2012 Prom at the California Science Center on June 22. While the event may have been popular among students, the price of tickets to be admitted is unreasonably high and should be lowered.
According to junior class President Rachel Humphrey, all the money ASB receives from Prom tickets goes directly to the Prom, as they try to make the event completely self-sustaining from year to year.
For two weeks, couples’ tickets were $170 with an ASB sticker and $180 without. During the third week, couples with an ASB sticker had to pay $180 with an ASB sticker and $190 without one. According to many, these expensive prom ticket prices denied some students the opportunity to attend Prom. These prices are a deterrent to many students who do not want or are simply unable to pay such a high price for the dance.
According to Student Activities Director Lisa Claypoole, the price of tickets stays the same, despite the cost of the venue. Any money left over after paying for the venue is used on decorations and extra activities. This year, the surplus was used on tuxedo-themed invitations, chocolate-covered strawberries, live music, and other non-essential forms of entertainment.
While this entertainment and these decorations may make Prom slightly more enjoyable, they are superfluous in the long run. It would be more effective to charge less per ticket, regardless of the venue, and cut back on seemingly unnecessary items that students do not wish to pay for.
Some may argue that decorations and entertainment make Prom a special event. However, with only a select group of 30 students deciding each and every detail of Prom without input from the student body, it is difficult to come to that conclusion without consulting the Prom attendees who actually have to pay for the tickets.
Therefore, to limit controversy over the price of tickets, Student Government should conduct scheduled surveys to decide if the prom attendees would prefer lower ticket prices with a cheaper venue, or expensive ticket prices with a more expensive venue with less extravagance.
Because the prom venue is chosen two years in advance, the survey would be given solely to freshmen and sophomores in order to permit students to choose the conditions for their proms. While some believe a survey would ruin the element of surprise traditionally associated with revealing of the prom location, this compromise would limit conflict and allow for the most possible students to be happy with the ticket prices and venue.
Providing information to students early on would allow a larger number of students to have the opportunity to attend Prom, as the prices would be approved by students themselves and it would give the student body the opportunity to select a prom fitted specifically to classes’ interests.
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