The week before Spring Fling, University Prep administrators repeatedly warned parents and students alike about after-dance parties.  

“In short, the rumor is that a student has rented a house via Airbnb for an unsupervised party,” read the email sent by Head of Upper School Ken Jaffe the evening of the dance. 

A post on Schoology from Associate Director of Upper School Sarah Peterson outlined the disciplinary actions that would be taken if students brought substances to the dance, saying the infractions “may be reportable to colleges, and could possibly lead to revocation of any acceptances.” 

UPrep administrators have struggled to maintain a careful balance of regulating student behavior without interfering in their outside lives past what is necessary, according to Peterson. 

“We have a weird gray area of responsibility to things that are not really our problem, but ultimately if we’re concerned for your safety, we have a duty to inform people who care about you,” Peterson said. 

The administration is most typically tipped off about where the party after a dance is being held by a concerned student, usually one who is not hosting.

“It’s rare that [host] students volunteer that information to us, but that’s not unheard of,” Peterson said. 

UPrep student Kendra* has mixed feelings on the school’s involvement in social events. 

“It kind of ruins the fun because you don’t want to be thinking about school, and then you get a Schoology update from Ms. Peterson,” she said. 

Yet Kendra agreed that if students were attempting to rent a house for a night without supervision, then someone should be tipped off.  

“[If] it went really bad, that could reflect on the school,” she said. 

Student Leo* once hosted an afterparty but has decided that he isn’t going to do it again. 

“It was the first and the last time I’ll ever throw a party. Not because it was bad, but because my parents decided they don’t want to be about that life,” he said. 

During the party, Leo felt like everyone who attended was at least partially accountable for others’ safety. 

“For all the sober people there, there is a responsibility to make sure no one gets hurt,” he said. 

Like Kendra, Leo agreed that the most dangerous aspect of parties was when it wasn’t hosted at someone’s house, and there were no adults present. 

“[If] there’s no parents there to monitor, then there’s drunk driving,” he said. “I’m very against that.” 

While students may be concerned for their classmates, Peterson is terrified that a student will get hurt the night of a dance. Those nights, “I don’t sleep,” she said. “I’m worried about someone drowning in a pool or getting raped.”

Peterson hopes that students share her concerns and see the administration as looking out for them rather than playing cat and mouse. 

“I want people to understand that there is a liability,” Peterson said. I hope that students [know] that there is a piece of this that is truly coming from a place of concern. I promise it is not a desire to shut down fun.”