ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, May 19, 1996 TAG: 9605200004
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-19 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE STAFF WRITER
MEMO: ***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on May 22, 1996.
Darrin Slusher won a car, the grand prize at Christiansburg High
School's after=prom party. His name was spelled incorrectly in a story
that ran Sunday.
If you had entered the New River Valley Mall the night of May 11, it might have looked like any other weekend night at any mall.
The usual influx of teens still devoured pizza and sweets; they still stood in circles, laughing excitedly.
But normally, there isn't an "American Gladiator" type game in the middle of the mall, complete with what looks like a gigantic Q-tip used to knock an opponent off a platform and onto the huge air-filled mattress below.
And you don't usually see a Tom Cruise look-alike, lip syncing "Old Time Rock 'n' Roll" and dancing around in his boxer shorts. Usually, there's not a car for a door prize. And rarely is the food court still packed at 3 a.m.
But this was the party after the prom, the all-night, parent-run extravaganza that took at least $10,000 to put on and an entire year to plan.
For the past seven years, students from Christiansburg High School have stretched prom night into morning in the donated space. Some say they're more excited about the after-prom party than the prom; others say they go because there isn't much else to do.
Whatever the reason, on this Saturday night, the party achieved its goal: keeping most of the 300 students who had attended Christiansburg High School's prom away from alcohol, drugs and highway hazards until 5 the following morning.
After-prom parties have caught on like wildfire through communities hoping to curb drunken driving accidents once associated with the spring dance. The party is now an established part of prom night for high schools across the New River Valley.
More than 100 Christiansburg parents worked throughout this year's party. Some decorated, others ran games. Some got the thankless job of arriving at 5 a.m. to clean up.
"We called every parent with a child enrolled at Christiansburg [High]," said volunteer Heather Johnson. "Those who said they couldn't make it to the party, we said, 'Well, could you bake something?'"
And bake they did. Thousands of calories in heart-shaped Rice Krispie treats, cupcakes with yellow and blue frosting (the school's colors), handmade mints and, of course, chocolate. That, along with the 50 or so Little Caesar's pizzas, kept parents and students fueled through the night.
Free food is the incentive for most, according to student Emily Duke. "And some of the stuff is pretty fun."
Even though no alcohol is allowed, most kids do come to the party, she said, at least for a little while. "Some people still do stuff - like drinking - in between. But they'd have to leave the prom pretty early to really do much," she said.
Control, in subtle and obvious ways, is the key to after-prom success.
No one could arrive later than 1 a.m., giving most prom-goers little free time after the prom's close at midnight. Parents signed students in and confiscated jackets, purses, backpacks - anything that might hold alcohol or drugs.
Students couldn't re-enter the party and volunteers kept a running tally of who left and at what time. Parents could call from home and check whether their child had left.
With all those restrictions, why would a teen-ager come?
"There's nothing else to do," said senior Lyle "Skid" Gardner. "Well, there is stuff, but it would just make your parents mad."
About 50 students did leave before 5 a.m., but most stayed all night for the big finale: the prize give-away. Televisions, CD players, cordless telephones and watches joined the big prize - a 1989 Chrysler Lebaron wrapped with a big white bow, donated by Shelor Automotive. Daron Flusher, a senior, drove it away.
For Betty Asbrook, who headed the after-prom party this year, the night was bittersweet. For the past four years, Asbrook co-headed the immense project with Angie Knowles, who was killed in March. Knowles' name sparkled on the back of the glittery T-shirts that commemorated the party.
Planning for the party and booking entertainment takes a full year, Asbrook said, beginning each spring when schools set the prom date.
One of the hottest acts? Randy "Hooter" Horton of Skin Thrills Tattoo Studio in Roanoke. He and his staff are booked solid in May to create works of body art in magic marker at parties from Wytheville to Martinsville,
"I see them a week later in the mall," he said lifting up his shirt sleeve and mimicking the kids, "and they say, 'Look, I still got that tattoo!'"
LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: LORA GORDON. As their friends cheer them on, Peterby CNBAlexander (left) and Chris Epperly go after each other in a friendly
game of Joust, one of many after-prom activities offered at the New
River Mall. color. 2. The late hour takes its toll on Steven Sowers
(right) as he naps on the shoulder of Reva Hinkley. The trio, which
includes Hilary Simmons (left) who looks as if she's ready to call
it a night, attended the after-prom party at the New River Valley
Mall.