Over the past few years John Dewey High School has hosted several senior activities however, current seniors and upcoming seniors wonder if the costs are worth the experience.
Many current seniors here at John Dewey High School are a bit hesitant to participate in some of the upcoming senior activities. More specifically the most recent trip to Six Flags Great Adventure. Many students felt a bit bewildered by the price because regular daily tickets range from $50-$85, while here at JDHS it is priced at $143.
For extra insight we interviewed JDHS senior adviser Ms. Escalera to get a preview of upcoming senior events, costs and the reason for those costs. Ms. Escalera explained that she is in charge of the senior related activities, practically everything outside the yearbook.
She explained that “Every trip that was proposed, other than FrightFest, has been voted on by the seniors. That’s how we ran it last year, and then this year, I intend to do the same. Also, though, I serve as a liaison because there’s some expectations that you guys have or wants that you have for the trips, and they’re not necessarily realistic. So it’s my job to kind of work on that and find, like, a happy ground. so that everyone, including just all the principals and the assistant principals, and you guys are all happy with what we come up with.”
Being the senior adviser, we asked Ms. Escalera about financial options for students who aren’t able to meet senior costs.
She broke it down, saying “You can sell chocolate, and you can pay by installments. So you could literally pay $5 every week; but you could do installments, and then you’d get there, but the chocolate is kind of the most feasible. Everybody really likes the chocolates. People usually have a day and a half turnaround time, and you only need eight boxes this year for senior dues, and then you need eight boxes for prom.”
Explaining why prices for trips have increased, Escalara stated “For the most part they have gone up, but they’ve gone up proportionally to what we’ve been experiencing for everything else, like for the cost of living and stuff. So I especially see the biggest price jump within the food component. So when it’s paying for your chocolate, paying for your stuff to include the food vouchers, that’s what the biggest price increase where it’s been seen.”
After asking her perspective as senior adviser and planning, we asked what her perspective was based on the experience. Escalara responded that “I think they’re worth it. I think they’re worth it because, for example, Some of the people on my trip have never been to Six Flags before, so it’s super exciting to see you guys experience the haunted house. It’s very fun. You guys will cry. That’s fun too.”
Senior Ann Corynn Pierre Louis provided a much needed student perspective on this issue. Pierre Louis expressed that while the overall experience is worth the price of admission, she acknowledged that the price point would quickly turn many seniors away- even those with part time jobs or other means of income.
Turns out, Pierre Louis is selling the chocolate boxes the school provides in order to meet the cost for the Six Flags Fright Fest trip. So it may seem that the chocolate boxes are effective!
After interviewing the senior adviser, Pierre Louis, and hearing from other students’ perspectives- there seems to be a rift between the opinions of students and staff. Many students believe that the prices for senior activities have become too expensive and aren’t even worth the cost. However staff such as Ms. Escalara believe these prices are high for all the right reasons, and are needed in order to keep the trips/activities engaging and enjoyable.
