I may need to rethink that whole private schools generally working out better than public schools thing…

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) – They’re calling it “prom-munism.” Seniors at an Albuquerque school want their prom to have a Communism theme. Seniors at Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School near I-25 and Paseo del Norte voted online this week for the theme of their prom this year.

“They wanted prom-munism, so that’s what got voted for the most,” said senior Sarah Zachary.

She voted for “A Night in the Reef,” because the prom is expected to take place at the Albuquerque Aquarium on April 25.

“We have a lot of jokesters in our grade, so they wanted it to be funny and a lot of them are really intense with politics,” Zachary said.

I’m going to include the video report from the local TV station below which has a lot more in terms of details and interview segments than the text article on their website. It’s impossible to say how much of this is just a group of juveniles with a really poor sense of humor or if there are some seriously poisonous currents running around under the surface here. It’s rather curious that the reporter mentioned some students who called the theme inappropriate and “a very powerful and destructive idea” but said they only wished to speak on condition of anonymity. Since when do high school kids hesitate to call each other idiots on a daily basis?

The school’s executive director, Sam Obenshain, doesn’t inspire the greatest amount of confidence during his interview either. While it doesn’t show up in the text version, he wanted to assure everyone that he was talking to the students and making sure they understood what they were doing.

He wants the students to understand that communism can generate negative reactions.

Wait… communism can generate negative reactions? When did this one come up for debate? Does he describe ISIS as having controversial engagement practices? But hey… it’s all about the children, right? And as he put it, making sure that their voices are heard.

In the end, of course, this comes back to the parents just as it does in any school question. There’s a breakdown in communication going on in at least some of these homes if there were enough seniors willing to vote for this to make up a majority, or even a plurality. Jokes are fine, and having some fun at your prom should be encouraged, but this is no laughing matter.

The video of the full report follows.