Photo: MediaPunch Inc/REX USA.It's the sort of adolescent dramedy that belongs on a episode of MTV's High School Stories — this time revamped for the #selfie generation. It's the story of a teen asking a celebrity to prom, only to get suspended by fun-sucking adults, and becomes student king for a day.
Upon learning that Miss America Nina Davuluri would be visiting his Pennsylvania school for a talk, 18-year-old student Patrick Farves told all his peers he was going to ask her to prom, right in front of the whole school. Obviously, the student body eagerly anticipated this big Instagram-ready moment, and as word spread, school administrators caught on and were none too pleased. They warned Farves not to pull his stunt, but the plucky teen felt compelled to go for it — after all, the pressuring eyes of the entire Central York High School student body were upon him.
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"At that point in time, it was 10 minutes before the presentation, and I was pretty much set to do it," Farves told reporters. "I was a little pressured. Everybody expected me to do it. I'm the kind of person who, if someone says I won't do something, I'll prove people wrong. I will."
This he certainly did. Brandishing a flower, Farves bravely popped the question to Davuluri, even requesting a selfie in the process. Davuluri laughed it off good-naturedly, while the student body roared its approval, and Farves did a little victory dance. Naturally, school officials swooped in and booted him from the assembly, eventually giving him a three-day suspension for his deliberate defiance — a punishment deemed "harsh" by peers and protested on social media with a #freepatty hashtag.
For his part, Farves is taking the consequences in stride. "I do understand why the administration was mad," he told the York Dispatch. "I didn't intend to disrespect the administration. I can see how it was seen as a slap in the face."
Fortunately, he'll still be able to attend prom — just not with Miss America. (NY Daily News)