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Miss America prom proposal: Why student got suspended

  • By Staff Associated Press

| York, Penn.

A Pennsylvania high school student is in hot water for asking Miss America to prom during a question and answer session at school.

Eighteen-year-old Patrick Farves said he received three days of in-school suspension Thursday because he asked Nina Davuluri to prom.

The senior at Central York High School stood up and popped the prom question, then walked to the stage with a purple plastic flower. Davuluri just laughed and the students cheered.

School officials heard about Farves' plan in advance and warned him not to do it. He has apologized for disrupting the event.

Farves told the YorkDispatch.com that he understands the administration's decision for the 3.5-day suspension, which he served for a half day Friday and will finish next Monday through Wednesday.

"I understand that they (the administration) feel disrespected," Farves said. "It wasn't my intent."

The stunt also drew attention away from the main reason students were meeting Miss America in the first place, a message Farves said was more serious.

"I did kind of overshadow what she was saying," he said. "She was saying a really strong message about diversity and most of the kids were focused on what I had just done."

The school says students are disciplined for breaking rules and this incident is no different.

Davuluri was at the school as the keynote speaker at the Diversity Celebration, an eighth-annual event that featured her address, cultural foods and a variety of vocal and dance performances. She also spoke about the importance of science, technology, engineering and math studies or STEM.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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