Leadership for Student Activities: Lock-Ins

Lock-ins have become a popular event at many schools in the past decade. Essentially, a lock-in is an overnight event in which participating students are "locked-in" at the school for the duration of the event. The lock-in times can vary, but will always include the hours from midnight to approximately 7:00 a.m.

A good lock-in has a security plan, a nutritional menu, and a full slate of entertainment activities. In this article, we'll discuss them all.

Security

The main purpose of a lock-in is to give students an entertaining activity that allows them to stay up all night in a safe, supervised environment. To that end, organizers of a lock-in must take steps to ensure the safety and security of all concerned:

* Signup. When students purchase tickets for the lock-in, they must submit a mandatory parental consent sheet. Without this consent sheet, the student should not be allowed to attend.

* Initial Roll Call. An organized and secure check-in procedure should be in place when its time for students to arrive. Also, security must be in place so that students cannot leave-once they're in, they're in. If a student who was supposed to be at the lock-in doesn't show up, someone must call that student's parent so that the parent is aware that their teen is not at the lock-in.

* Halfway Roll Call. It's a good idea to take another roll call halfway through the event to verify that all students are accounted for. Even though there will be security in place to prevent students from leaving the school, teens can be adept at getting around rules. If you cannot account for a student, call the parent.

* Departure Check-Out. Whenever your lock-in ends, check students out as they leave.

Entertainment

Depending on the purpose of the event, a lock-in can offer a variety of events and activities. Some possibilities include:

* DJ or Videodance. We've discussed DJs at length over the course of this series. Please see the October 2004 issue for a detailed description on how to book a DJ. Because the hours of this event are stretching overnight, the price for the DJ package might be a little higher than usual. However, you need not pay a huge premium, as the only extra cost the DJ company has is staffing costs associated with the extra hours. The setup, takedown, and equipment are still the same.

* Live Bands. Use of live bands may be an option, as was discussed in the April 2005 issue with respect to spring picnics. The same points apply to lock-ins.

* Inflatable Games. The April issue also addressed inflatable games, and the same points apply here except that the venue will be indoors. Therefore, ensure that you have sufficient space and sufficient sources of power to allow them to operate. In most high schools, a gym is the only room capable of handling these games.

* Carnival Entertainment. This area includes entertainers like astrologers, palm readers, psychics, balloon artists, caricaturists, casino games, clowns, handwriting analysts, portrait artists, tarot card readers, and more.

Rates can vary depending on who you choose as your entertainer and how far they have to travel. Each type of entertainer has his or her own merits. Perhaps the only recommendation we can give is that entertainers who give something to the students as part of their performance (such as balloon artists, caricaturists and portrait artists) seem to be slightly more popular than the others. However, your choice should be based on local preferences.

* Feature Entertainment. One feature performance is always a great idea to top off the entertainment for your lock-in. Again this choice is based entirely on your council's tastes, but three responsibilities are: hypnotist, magician, or comedian. Prices can vary greatly depending on the quality of the entertainer and how far they have to travel. Make sure your contract contains clauses on morality, as the performance is geared toward students.

Food

As lock-ins usually last seven or more hours, food must be provided. Provide liquid refreshment such as soda, diet soda, water, and juices. Snack foods such as chips and pretzels are also popular. Other more substantial meal items are often sub sandwiches and pizza. Serve breakfast within the last 90 minutes of the event. This may include danishes and juice or a more elaborate menu. Consult with the appropriate person at your school to design a proper menu.

Prepare properly, and a lock-in can very well be one of the highlights of your social calendar every school year.

Jordan St. Jacques (www.nightlifeamerica.com) is the president of Nlghtlife America, Inc., one of the largest school dance outfits in North America.