High School Lacrosse team suspended after spelling prom invitation on bare bottoms
by Jeff Arnold | The Ann Arbor News Wednesday April 30, 2008, 7:00 AM
ELIYAHU GURFINKEL, THE ANN ARBOR NEWSCarolyn Campbell, a senior at Huron High School in Ann Arbor, accepted an unusual invitation to the prom from fellow senior Kristoff Wennersten.
Kristoff Wennersten figured his prom proposal had to be one-of-a-kind if it would have any chance of being accepted.
But the Huron High School senior never imagined it would result in a suspension for himself and 12 of his varsity lacrosse teammates, whom he recruited to help spell out the message at a school soccer match via their derrieres.
The players displayed the question, "Will You Go To The Prom With Me? Yes or No?" on their posteriors while mooning Huron senior Carolyn Campbell at a game.
All 13 players were suspended for a undetermined number of games and ordered to complete 20 hours of community service. The students were also suspended for one day of school. Huron's lacrosse matches, scheduled for this past Saturday and Monday, were postponed.
"Inappropriate is inappropriate," Huron athletic director Dottie Davis said Monday after meeting with lacrosse varsity players and their parents. "It disrespects women, and that's the clear message we need to have the students understand - what may be fun to them isn't necessarily fun to everyone else."
Campbell, who accepted the prom invitation by patting the lower back of the player displaying the word 'Yes,' described Wennersten's method as "cute" and said she wasn't upset by the manner in which she was asked.
"People get pretty creative with prom. Anyone who's done anything has been pretty outlandish," Campbell said. "This is pretty epic, I would say.
"I didn't think it would become this big of a deal."
Neither did Wennersten, who said the idea was more "spur of the moment" than anything.
Originally, his friends suggested a sign. But Wennersten pushed for a grander plan.
After serving his one-day school suspension Friday, Wennersten said he understands why he and his teammates were disciplined.
"I can appreciate the fact that (school officials) need to exercise a certain amount of punishment just to follow the rules, but I think they may have stretched it out of proportion," he said. "It was just something to do.
"I enjoyed every bit of it."
The prom proposal, which took place during a Huron junior varsity soccer match Thursday night, has drawn attention in Huron's hallways.
Most students said they found the proposal humorous and thought school officials blew it out of proportion.
But Davis said she has heard from parents offended by the incident.
Carolyn's mother, Melinda, said she and her husband were stunned when their daughter informed them of Wennersten's prom invitation.
"It's hard to know what to do," Melinda Campbell said. "It just happened. I hate to say, 'No harm, no foul' because some people were harmed. But it has certainly caused a lot of excitement."
Karen Van Eck, whose sophomore son, Forrest, plays for Huron's junior varsity lacrosse team, wasn't among those upset. But she said she saw the need for punishment.
"Some very nice kids made a really bad choice," Van Eck said. "I think it all boils down to respect. Who wants a bunch of boys with their butts hanging out (representing the school)? They had to do something."
Davis, who hasn't yet decided the length of the players' suspension, said she hopes other students learn from the incident.
"We're always preaching educational athletics," she said. "So we'll deal with it, move on and hope it doesn't happen again."
by Jeff Arnold | The Ann Arbor News Wednesday April 30, 2008, 7:00 AM
Kristoff Wennersten figured his prom proposal had to be one-of-a-kind if it would have any chance of being accepted.
But the Huron High School senior never imagined it would result in a suspension for himself and 12 of his varsity lacrosse teammates, whom he recruited to help spell out the message at a school soccer match via their derrieres.
The players displayed the question, "Will You Go To The Prom With Me? Yes or No?" on their posteriors while mooning Huron senior Carolyn Campbell at a game.
All 13 players were suspended for a undetermined number of games and ordered to complete 20 hours of community service. The students were also suspended for one day of school. Huron's lacrosse matches, scheduled for this past Saturday and Monday, were postponed.
"Inappropriate is inappropriate," Huron athletic director Dottie Davis said Monday after meeting with lacrosse varsity players and their parents. "It disrespects women, and that's the clear message we need to have the students understand - what may be fun to them isn't necessarily fun to everyone else."
Campbell, who accepted the prom invitation by patting the lower back of the player displaying the word 'Yes,' described Wennersten's method as "cute" and said she wasn't upset by the manner in which she was asked.
"People get pretty creative with prom. Anyone who's done anything has been pretty outlandish," Campbell said. "This is pretty epic, I would say.
"I didn't think it would become this big of a deal."
Neither did Wennersten, who said the idea was more "spur of the moment" than anything.
Originally, his friends suggested a sign. But Wennersten pushed for a grander plan.
After serving his one-day school suspension Friday, Wennersten said he understands why he and his teammates were disciplined.
"I can appreciate the fact that (school officials) need to exercise a certain amount of punishment just to follow the rules, but I think they may have stretched it out of proportion," he said. "It was just something to do.
"I enjoyed every bit of it."
The prom proposal, which took place during a Huron junior varsity soccer match Thursday night, has drawn attention in Huron's hallways.
Most students said they found the proposal humorous and thought school officials blew it out of proportion.
But Davis said she has heard from parents offended by the incident.
Carolyn's mother, Melinda, said she and her husband were stunned when their daughter informed them of Wennersten's prom invitation.
"It's hard to know what to do," Melinda Campbell said. "It just happened. I hate to say, 'No harm, no foul' because some people were harmed. But it has certainly caused a lot of excitement."
Karen Van Eck, whose sophomore son, Forrest, plays for Huron's junior varsity lacrosse team, wasn't among those upset. But she said she saw the need for punishment.
"Some very nice kids made a really bad choice," Van Eck said. "I think it all boils down to respect. Who wants a bunch of boys with their butts hanging out (representing the school)? They had to do something."
Davis, who hasn't yet decided the length of the players' suspension, said she hopes other students learn from the incident.
"We're always preaching educational athletics," she said. "So we'll deal with it, move on and hope it doesn't happen again."
