The phrase “party like it’s 1776” on Cherry Hill East’s senior prom ticket created a lot of discussion in the community. The Sun’s story on the topic was the eighth most read of 2018.
Editor’s Note: This is part of a countdown of the top 10 most read stories on www.cherryhillsun.com in 2018. This story was the eighth most read.
In May, thousands of community members began a debate after some expressed concerns about the phrase, “party like it’s 1776” being on the senior prom ticket at Cherry Hill High School East. The controversy results in changes on the ticket, tons of social media conversation and ended up being the eighth most read Cherry Hill Sun story of the year.
In mid-May, Cherry Hill East principal Dennis Perry issued a letter of apology after he said numerous school community members had expressed concern about the phrase, “party like it’s 1776” being on the ticket for senior prom. The prom took place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
In the letter, Perry said it was “insensitive and irresponsible not to appreciate that not all communities can celebrate what life was like in 1776.”
As a result, the school took numerous action steps to correct the issue. Students were not required to bring the ticket to prom and all of the attendees received a new, commemorative ticket with a different design at the event. Perry also said in the letter that safe guards will be added to ensure a diverse group of people view future information on materials before they are distributed.
Despite these action, the news about the issue brought about dozens of social media comments on The Cherry Hill Sun’s Facebook page as well as on Cherry Hill community groups. At the May Cherry Hill Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Joe Meloche expressed dismay at some of the negative conversation surrounding the issue.
“Unfortunately, some of the adults … do not know how to disagree,” Meloche said. “Public shaming, calling additional names and putting stuff out there that’s negative does not benefit any of us, because the kids listen, the kids watch and the kids see that.”
To read The Sun’s original stories on the topic, visit https://cherryhillsun.com/apology-issued-action-taken-on-cherry-hill-east-senior-prom-ticket-c101908506b7 and https://cherryhillsun.com/superintendent-discusses-cherry-hill-easts-decision-on-prom-ticket-at-boe-meeting-c1012b505d2d
