Yesterda, the middle school at the end of our block had an end of the school year party outside, with an ice cone truck, and 6’ tall speakers playing VERY loud music. I have 2 questions:
When did schools start to offer such parties? My wife and I do not recall them from our youth (60s-70s), or our kids (90s-00s). What is the reasoning behind such parties, as opposed to - say - another day of instruction?
What is the reasoning behind having such loud music at such a party? Since Easter, we heard such loud music at an elementary school (audible inside w/ windows closed 4 streets away) and a pre-k school. When younger, I certainly attended my share of loud concerts, and parties w/ music blaring. And I guess I might have encountered that at a carnival or something. But I’m wondering why a school would think "Celebration requires blasting music."
I guess I’m an old fart, but I could easily imagine a session of games, food, and other activities, that did not require - or even benefit from - the addition of loud music.
Excuse me, now, I have to chase some kids off my lawn!
My thinking is that the loud music reflects PR by entertainment companies, and lazy thinking by event planners. Rather than thinking, “What would make this event enjoyable?”, they are able to run down a list and see that someone is offering this service for a fee.
But I still don’t get why the end of the school year merits a party. Even with the past couple of years of COVID, I would have thought that attending school itself was sufficient reward.
We didn’t have a huge outdoor party per say, but the last day of middle school was always an “Activity” day. Usually each classroom was set up with different activities that could be done and you went to different ones throughout the day. This was the late 90’s.
Let’s face it, are kids really gonna pay attention to a lecture of WWII on the last day of class?
Yeah - when my kids were in school, it sure seemed like precious little “teaching/learning” went on the last week or more. ISTR A LOT of movies.
I admit I’m likely an old grouch. But the districts seem to place considerable emphasis on the total number of days of school. Which are not excessive IMO. My preference is that as many of those as possible actually be used for education.
I sympathize on the loud music thing. I think changes in technology have made it more ubiquitous. It used to be that music had to be stored on physical media, and transporting a sufficient quantity for a party was a pain. Plus the speakers were big, heavy, and expensive to rent or buy, and replace if anything happened to them. Now everyone has access to all the music in the world from a pocket device, and you can shake windows a block away with a speaker that’s practically a keychain.
I think the ship has sailed as a society on the question of whether it’s appropriate to disrupt neighbors with technologically amplified and enhanced sound whenever you, the one making the noise, wants to.
Yeah, I have noticed the same phenomenon with regard to sports games. My office is near a college playing field/stadium complex, and I’ve always liked hearing the player names announced (incomprehensibly) over the loudspeaker and the unamplified distant cheers and shouts of the players and crowds.
But now so much of the game has a soundtrack of over-amplified pop music constantly braying and drowning out the real noises of the game. And of course if you actually attend a game, especially in an indoor venue, it’s much worse.
I give kids a pass (up to a point) for blasting music at ear-shattering levels at their own parties, because that’s what they like and they’re kids, and annoying the old grouches by being too loud and rowdy is an important part of youthful individuation and the maturing process. But why are official school-organized events, such as sports competitions and end-of-year school parties, endorsing this practice? There are grownups in charge who can turn that shit down, and they should.
The loud music is a bit much imho, but I dunno, when I was in Jr High in the 80s, the school held a mud fight between the 8th grade class moving up and the departing freshman class (to become sophomores at a high school). There was a dedicated mud pit in one corner of the field near the tennis courts. Alas Babylon…the pit and the courts are now gone
I remember a lot of end-of-school-year activities from grade school in the 70s. Usually some type of outdoor picnic with games and food. Nothing fancy, just a transition acknowledgement of going from classes everyday to the welcoming of summer break.
