My Top Ten Teen Horror Films of All Time

With summer vacation just days away I figure it would be a good time for another top ten list having to do with movies, since going to the movies is a big part of the summer. These are my top ten teen horror films. The late seventies and early eighties started the genre of movie now known as teen slasher flicks. It's amazing how sex, drugs, and killing teens on film has lined Hollywood's pockets over the years. If you're not sure what DVDs to rent you might want to give one of these a try if you're in the mood for a good scare, or laugh, depending on how serious you take your horror films.

10 - The House on Sorority Row (1983)

9 - Prom Night (1980)

8 - Black Christmas (1974)

7 - I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

6 - Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

5 - Friday The 13th (1980)

4 - Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

3 - Carrie (1976)

2 - Scream (1996)

1 - Halloween (!978)

Do I Give "IT" Up on Prom Night?

Times have changed, but some things always stay the same. Prom night has been synonymous with getting laid since caveman donned their best animal skins to impress their dates. The media (movies in particular) has gone a long way in promoting the concept that the prom and sex go together like PB&J. But this is one of the rare times when I'll cut the media some slack. I remember my dad talking about his prom night (not a comfortable conversation), and the media didn't have quite the influence when my dad was a teen that it does now.

So what's all the fuss about having sex after the prom? I'm talking to the young ladies out there of course, because we all know young men don't need any special reason to have sex. Here comes my disclaimer for those girls out there ready to jump all over me because of the double standard in this country when it comes to sex. Women have every right to engage in as much sex as men do. Do they run the risk of being labeled a slut? Of course. Is this fair? No, but this is the society we live in. Because of these societal norms that have been created through the years we live in a world that expects teenage boys to engage in as much sex as is humanly possible, yet expect teenage girls to remain virgins until at least college, and if possible marriage. This equation just doesn't add up. We either have a mass of teenage boys walking around with severely calloused hands, or white weddings really are a myth.

Throw out the double standard for a second. Most young ladies are taught to be more responsible than the young men out there. The simple reason for this is that men can not get pregnant. (without surgery that is) It is the woman that has to bear most of the emotional and all of the physical issues that come with unplanned, out-of-wedlock pregnancies. Because of this it seems that society has left the responsibility of sex entirely up to the woman. Is this fair? No, but it is true. To prove my point just look at the amount of single mothers as opposed to single fathers. When it comes to sex men like to chalk everything up to genetics. Supposedly we are predisposed to want to spread our seed with as many partners as possible. This is where the saying, "The little head tells the big head what to do." comes from. I'll admit that most men ages 13 to 30 have baby batter on the brain most of the time, but this doesn't mean we are mindless zombies who throw all reason out the window when blood rushes to a certain part of our anatomy.

So, getting back to sex on prom night. We have the oversexed male thinking it's an even money shot that he's getting laid on prom night, even though his date has an impeccable reputation as a young lady. We have a young lady who is feeling all sorts of pressure because it's prom night and she's been dating this guy for most of her senior year, and she is pretty sure he thinks tonight is the night. She likes him, but is not sure she is ready to take the next step with him. What to do, what to do? This is the crux of what I'm talking about. We all know there are couples in high school that have engaged in sexual intercourse before the prom, so having sex on prom night isn't a big deal. I'm talking about the girl who hasn't had sex with her current boyfriend or date to the prom, and even more importantly let's say she's a virgin. Yes people there are still plenty of virgins left in high school. The big question is does she give "IT" up?

The simple solution to answering this question is to take the prom out of the situation. If it wasn't prom night would you be willing to cross that line with this person? When I say this people always want to start in on how the prom is a special event in a person's life. It's a night of memories and spending time with the people you care most about at the end of your high school career. It can be all these things without having sex. The pressure on our young ladies to have sex on prom night can ruin all these memories they're supposed to be creating. Proms are no longer about the prom, but what happens after. In some communities the prom has turned into long weekends where high school students rent out seedy motels and play "house". Last time I checked you need a credit card and have to be over 21 to rent a hotel room. (wake up parents) Some proms are held at hotel banquet halls and the hotel rooms are then booked by the students. I've had parents tell me this is acceptable because their daughters are rooming with other girls. (Yeah right.) We are giving life to the saying, "Off like a prom dress."

I know I sound like a prude. I'm certainly not against premarital sex, and a woman can certainly do what she wants with her body. (as long as she's old enough according to her state's statutory consent laws) All I'm saying is there are girls out there who should not be overwhelmed about having sex just because it's prom night.

Locker Searches, are they legal?

Most high school and middle school students will go their entire school career and not have their locker searched. But there are rare occasions when certain students will have their locker searched. Most students expect a certain right to privacy and assume school officials can not search their lockers. If this is your line of reasoning I only have one thing to say to you. You're wrong.

Schools can and will search your lockers if they feel there is reasonable suspicion that there is contraband in your locker. Contraband consists of stolen property, drugs, weapons, pornographic material, and anything else a school deems as inappropriate material. What you have in your locker doesn't necessarily have to be breaking any laws for school officials to search your locker. The bottom line is that the lockers you use are the property of the school. Unless you are paying some form of rent for them, the supreme court says the school can not be in violation for searching something that belongs to them in the first place.

Most schools usually cover themselves even though the supreme court has pretty much given them carte blanche over locker searches. The way they do this is by issuing every student a handbook at the beginning of the year. Some places call it a handbook, others call it a code of conduct, and others call it the rules and regulations of their institution. Whatever it is called by your school, most students don't take the time to read it. I suggest you do because it has a direct effect on your school life. These handbooks are given out and usually there is a page in it that has to be signed by your parents and returned to school. The school then keeps this on file. In this handbook it will clearly state, among other things, that all lockers are subject to search at the administration's discretion. By you and your parents signing it you are acknowledging this and saying that you agree with the policy. Get into the habit of reading what you sign.

I'm not condoning bringing contraband to school and keeping it in your locker. What I'm saying is that your down right stupid if you do. And please don't think your smart and change the lock on it thinking they will not be able to get into your locker. They'll just call a custodian and cut the lock and be well within their rights to do so. Now car searches that are on school property are a whole other matter. I'll discuss the legal issues of that topic at another time.