<p>I agree that parties closely linked to graduation seem to be more extreme.
I think there is a mind set ( like perhaps with prom) that they have been waiting to do____ all through high school, and now is their chance.
I like how many schools have tightly controlled graduation parties.
My younger daughters urban public high school rents buses and takes the kids somewhere- but there are games dancing and food- it also only costs $30 for everything including graduation and gowns because of fundraising, so everyone can participate.
I think by involving the kids right after graduation, it takes the pressure off and even if they have a party the next week, it isn’t so high stakes that they have to cram everything they wanted to say in high school into one night.
My older daughters school also had an after graduation party, almost the entire class came. They had a cruise and then an overnight- bags were searched, but once they were on the boat they could party.
When a classmate offered a house later on that week, she decided not to attend, she had already had her senior party, and besides she said, there are some people she didn’t want to see drunk. ( however she does now listen to him on the radio on * Morning Edition* )</p>