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 Chronicles
of E-burg
- Senior Week Commentary
Walter J. Zalis
June 17, 2005
Graduation?
Senior Week!
Congratulations!
You’ve made it! So many years spent in a public school forum:
waking at the break of dawn and sitting through seven hours of class
(sometimes conscious), five days a week- it’s all over and
done with. And we all know what that means. Specifically this year,
June 13th-June 19th: Senior Week. A tradition for Liberty High School
and Eldersburg alike. Pack some clothes, a few towels, tell your
legal friends to pick you up a couple 30 packs of Coors, a bottle
of Captain, some vodka, maybe tequila (if you’re tough like
that), and speed down to OC till you hit that jam on Coastal Highway.
Sound like a commentary aimed to 18 year olds alone? It’s
not. Parents know what senior week is. I know when I went to the
beach just hours after walking across the stage at Western Maryland
College, some friends of mine were held back from the annual event.
Parents didn’t want their child stumbling drunk down the boardwalk
where other intoxicated graduates were waiting to pick a fight.
So what do parents do about senior week? What should former students
do? It’s a difficult question for some, but not all. Because
of the position of Eldersburg, senior week is somewhat unique here
in comparison to other high school locations across the country.
The senior week hot spot is close enough that a majority of students
from schools all over Maryland take part in it, and far enough away
from E-burg so that moms and dads can’t intrude on the party
without spending considerable time doing so.
Therefore, you have a city taken over by horny, inebriated and excited
18-year olds, with graduation money, and raging hormones. And the
ocean front resort doesn’t have a specific place to attract
these kids- there is no real 18 to party, 21 to drink nightclub.
Seacrets attracts an older crowd, considering how tough it is to
get in underage. Without a place to congregate, most of the partying
and drinking takes place in hotel rooms, rented beach houses or
out on the actual boardwalk. If I’m trying to convince mom
to let their teenager leave for the OC, I’m doing a pretty
lousy job.
Back to the questions. What should parents do? Let Jimmy and Jane
go, or play the responsible, yet wicked guardian? Honestly, unless
your child has a drinking and violence problem back here in The
Burg, let them go to the beach. The place in June is built for drunken
seniors. Hell, there are signs along the highway welcoming these
kids! The town knows that senior week is a goldmine. They are going
to do what they need to in order to keep welcoming seniors back
with the blessing of their parents (so safety is probably up there
on the list). That is the advantage for parents when it comes to
Ocean City. It is the general destination for students all over
the state, so the town has preparations complete for the week. If
they’re going to party anywhere, this is the place you’d
want them to do it.
There is more to the decision of letting your child go on this trip
than safety alone. Senior week is a life event. For the first 18
years, life revolves around school- going to it, doing homework,
participating in school events, getting out of school, and eventually
heading back. This is a major milestone. Next is higher education
(a horse of a different color than high school), or the working
world, or perhaps the military. Students see senior week as a time
to remember, and if they don’t, they should. The thought of
it is orgasmic, and the time should never be forgotten. The first
real taste of freedom, with your friends, without real responsibility.
You parents know this; you were in the same position once. I know
my senior week was amazing. One of the best times of my life, and
I’ll always remember it. One of those things that brings a
smile to your face, no matter how much stress you’re under
later on in the “real world.”
So seniors, go to senior week. Parents, allow them to go to senior
week. They might make mistakes down there, but it’ll be ones
they’ll be happy to learn from. And remember, don’t
drink and drive! Take the drunk bus. It’s one of the best
times ever, TRUST ME.
Previous Chronicles
of E-Burg Columns by Walter Zalis
July 29, 2005 - The Restaurant
Customers Guide to Etiquette
July 22, 2005 - Ms. Carol's Denny's
Nite Club
July 15, 2005 - Review: The Gyms of
E-burg
July 8, 2005 - Eldersburg falls in
line with Popular Society
July 1, 2005 - The Challenge of Carrolltown
Center
June 23, 2005 - The Streets of E-town:
Is there a Drug Problem?
June 17, 2005 - Graduation? Senior
Week
June 9, 2005 - Not Your Granny's Town
Anymore
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