Senior year is often viewed as the pinnacle of the high school experience by students; between senior prom, Senior Assassin and Senior All Night Party, it represents both the end of the academic grind and students’ final chance to fulfill the American laid-back, memorable high school experience. However, the price tag of a socially fulfilling senior year that hits all the marks and “traditions” is a reality we don’t consider until we have to put money on the table.
This year, a prom ticket cost $190, Senior All Night Party was at least $200 and to participate in Senior Assassin you had to yield $10. Paired with other dances and self-driven activities like senior trips, the totals can be daunting. Even though many of these costs are optional, there’s an invisible pressure to participate in the brigade of senior activities. In order to fulfill the American dream of an easy-going high school experience that we’ve grown up seeing, we feel the need to participate in these activities. This might be seniors’ last chance to live out their High School Musical dreams, and as human nature dictates, FOMO is rife — we don’t want to miss our last opportunities to spend time with the people we experienced the highs and lows of high school with, and leave with regret.
While many of us at MVHS are far from economically disadvantaged, spending so much money at once is not something many can do thoughtlessly. Cupertino’s living cost is notoriously high, and some seniors may pay for senior activities with their own earnings. Additionally, while financial aid infrastructure does exist — like fee waivers — it is often unclear who qualifies for aid and social pressure may discourage people from even applying for it.
Experiences like prom are considered central to the high school experience, which many of us plan on participating in at one point, but the price tag can plant a seed of doubt. The prices set by ASB and the school administration are not for profit. High prices mean more amenities, like a buffet table, a photobooth, dinner, the prom boat, etc. Without these amenities, people may not enjoy the event as much and may even choose not to attend. And yet, we can’t help but question if the experiences justify the price. It’s a vicious cycle — the higher the prices, the fewer people decide to go and prices may rise again.
Still, as many of these prices remain non-negotiable, perhaps we shouldn’t be looking to diminish the cost immediately — especially since financial aid and fee waiver infrastructure already exist — but rather for greater transparency within the process. After all, students and parents not knowing what they are paying for could contribute to lower attendance, if they don’t feel as though the experience makes up for the price. We often don’t get to see all the amenities behind the price tag in the student store, which can be discouraging. When they are advertised through social media, students who don’t use social media miss out. To tackle this, we should also push for more in-school awareness.
If there were more transparency around the price tags of such activities, it may help students justify the price to themselves, their parents and their wallets. For example, ASB should post an explicit price breakdown of the costs going into each part of an event or activity so we know what we’re paying for. ASB could also utilize the morning announcements, especially for students who don’t use social media. ASB could also open its budgeting and planning process to the student body. This could be done by sending out Google Forms to poll people on which amenities they want at activities, allowing them to make budget decisions, and also to get people invested early and gauge attendance numbers.
Senior year is an exciting, tumultuous time when seniors undergo significant change and pressure. We need to work to ensure that the financial costs of participating in senior traditions aren’t an additional burden.
