Shot glass souvenirs irk Watkins Mill community

Like several other parents, Robinson called Watkins Mill High School’s new principal on Monday asking why the school gave teenagers party favors that appear to encourage underage drinking.

Party favors are a tradition at Watkins Mill’s annual homecoming dance, and at one time choices included beer mugs and champagne glasses. But in recent years, such suggestions have been vetoed.

The selections are made by students with the approval of the principal and other adult supervisors.

On Friday night, this year’s favors — described by Principal Kevin Hobbs in a Tuesday letter to parents as ‘‘floating candle votives” — were given to the students attending the dance.

‘‘I should have stepped in the night of [homecoming] when I saw them and pulled them,” Hobbs told The Gazette on Tuesday. ‘‘I’m responsible for making sure this didn’t happen.”

The favors, purchased in bulk from Anderson’s Prom and Party catalog, are described on the company’s Web site as candle votives. They are narrow, 3-and-a-half inch tall glasses.

‘‘When I spoke to the people who picked the candle votive from last year, they said that they thought they were being conscious,” Hobbs said. ‘‘They actually ruled out wine glasses and champagne glasses and settled on this candle votive.”

On its Web site, Anderson’s also offers a variety of flutes, wine glasses and beer mugs that can be used as floating candle holders.

Student government class advisors picked the favors last May and last year’s principal, Pete Cahall, approved them after he and the school’s business manager reviewed a catalog photo and description, Cahall said Tuesday.

‘‘I’m mad because the conversation was as clear as could be saying to the kids explicitly: ‘We cannot order anything that looks remotely like it’s related to alcohol,” Cahall said.

He recalls ‘‘a product that did not look like a shot glass, it’s more of a glass bowl or a cup” and a candle. Like Hobbs, he complained of Anderson’s ‘‘staging.” He did not find it ‘‘even a possibility” that students tricked him.

‘‘I think the company may have slid one by me,” Cahall said Tuesday.

Hobbs, who came to Watkins Mill in July from Parkland Middle School, saw the favors for the first time just hours before the dance.

‘‘I understand how it can be mistaken for a shot glass but it’s not, and I was torn between pulling it and not having the kids have a party favor and sending mixed signals about alcohol,” Hobbs said.

He sent a letter to Anderson’s Monday morning expressing disappointment and saying that the school would no longer do business with the company.

‘‘A mistake was made and they’re doing everything they can to make things right,” Lori Davis, past president of the school’s PTSA, said. ‘‘I’ve never seen a group work harder to get the right message out.”

In the future, there will be no glass favors at Watkins Mill events, Hobbs said. Students will receive gifts like picture frames and key chains.

‘‘I’m just mad that we did so much work with our [Students Against Drunk Driving organization] in preparation for our homecoming to raise awareness to the dangers of alcohol and unsafe decisions that it’s really unfortunate this happened.”

Hobbs said does not believe the students involved in selecting the favors attempted to mislead anyone about their choice.

Staff Writer Sebastian Montes contributed to this report.