Want to ask the popular girl to prom? You better hope you get a lucky number, or have some cash to spare.
Administrators at Corona del Mar High School in Newport Beach, California, are trying in vain to discourage students from participating in an annual "prom draft" in which boys rank female students and even sell first-round date picks to those interested in getting the upper hand.
According to a student who spoke to the Daily Pilot, this isn't the first year that students at CdM High have participated in the NFL-style prom draft. This year, one student reportedly paid $140 for a first-round pick in order to choose a specific girl. "It's awkward because he spent a large amount of money to go with someone he doesn't talk to," said the student. "And she finds it awkward that he chose her."
For the most part, female students reportedly "respect the draft and stick with those dates," the student added. But Kathy Scott, the school's principal, is encouraging parents to talk to their kids about the harmful effects of the practice. "It's not okay for any student to be objectified or judged in any way," she wrote.