Blue and White Night Canceled

Student drinking at parties has caused the cancellation of Blue and White Night, a longtime tradition at Schreiber High School.

Principal John R. Lewis, in a letter sent home last Friday, said the drinking at parties and sleepovers was a breach of contract by students and their parents.

"Consequently, the decision has been made to permanently cancel Blue and White Night effective immediately," Lewis's letter said. "We have discovered that there have been numerous gatherings, parties and sleepovers ... At those gatherings, alcohol has been standard fare."

The decision to cancel the event, which dates back to 1946, came as a result of the administration's attempt to create a safe framework for those participating in Sports Night.

To take part in the annual event, both the guardians and students signed an agreement.

"Over the past several weeks, we have uncovered specific infractions of the contract that was signed by all participants and their parents," Lewis said in the letter. "Unfortunately, these were not isolated problems —  but included over one-third of the total participants."

Some would-be Sports Night participants said they realize why the school canceled the event, but that lots of students are unhappy with the decision. "The school didn't want to be liable for any hazing," said Rachel Lifson, who was wearing a Blue and White Night T-shirt in protest of the cancellation. "We had one more month. We spent a lot of money and time on this. I'm disappointed."

But  some students don't understand why the event was canceled, since the contract stated that only people found to be in breach of contract would be barred from participating. "I feel it is unfair because not all the teams were involved in drinking," Molly Ronis said, "and in the contract it never said anything about grounds to cancel the event."

The original intent of the Sports Night was for girls to showcase their athletic ability at a time when there weren't many female sporting events. Former student and current art teacher at Schreiber, Marie Conte-Lawe, explained, "When I was in school at Schreiber in the '70s, every female had to participate, but since the late '80s it became cliquey."

Since the 1970s, most sports now include both male and female teams, and Sports Night has evolved into a performance night that is intended to create school spirit. The students also raise money for charity. Conte-Lawe said that since the event became a fundraiser she feels it has gotten "much better."

Some Schreiber students feel Sports Night didn't bring the students together, but instead brought about exclusion and peer pressure. "It caused too much drama," said Kristina Moreno, a current student and past participant of the event. "If you were on a team without your friends, it was really awkward and people wouldn't make you feel comfortable."

The administration felt it best to call off Sports Night, which was scheduled for Feb. 27, in hopes of maintaining the safety of its participants. Administrators are currently looking into an alternative event for the students.

"While we regret the need to make this difficult decision, consistent and well-publicized efforts to create a safe environment for this event have not yielded the needed results," the letter said.