Parents, volunteers putting final touches on extravaganza
The chaos of the last few weeks of school, particularly as a high school senior, is also felt by parents. And for those parents who are organizing the Live Oak High School Class of ‘05’s Grad Night, this is no exception.
“Things are just going great,” said Tina Urban-Smith, who is coordinating the event. “We are slightly ahead of schedule, and things are moving along. We have more decorating crews moving in this week, volunteers, moms. We transformed if from a gym, we haven’t started putting the decor in, but that’s coming up. It’s going to be gorgeous.”
Grad Night was started as a way to keep graduating kids safe and sober while providing them with a party atmosphere and a chance to spend the night with their classmates following Friday’s graduation ceremony that begins at 6pm at Richert Field. Once the grads enter the extravagantly decorated gym after the doors open at 10pm Friday, they must stay until 5am, unless a parent picks them up.
“The whole idea is safety, but over the years, it has evolved into a really fun event,” Urban-Smith said.
There’s always plenty of food and beverages – non-alcoholic, of course – but Urban-Smith said she can’t talk about what kinds of food will be served this year, because it might give away this year’s theme.
Parents involved in decorating and planning for the event typically try to keep the theme a secret until that night; last year, the “Pirates of the Caribbean” theme became obvious rather earlier, as parents built a giant pirate ship at the entrance to the gym.
This year’s theme may not stay secret for long, either, Urban-Smith said. A graphic artist donated his work and created signs hinting about the theme. The signs went up on campus on Thursday, and next week, there will be more signs with “even broader” hints, she said.
Parents “took over” the gym this weekend to begin its transformation for the extravaganza.
“We think it’s a great theme this year, and we’re planning to win first place again this year,” she said.
Last year, Grad Night took first place in a nationwide competition of planned post-graduation parties.
While Urban-Smith is excited about the Grad Night theme, planned activities and food, something she is concerned about is donations.
“This year’s donations are not quite as high as they have been in the past,” she said. “We’re hoping more will come in before the event.”
Money and services or items are all welcome, she said. Anyone interested in helping with this year’s event is asked to call Kim Kenyon at 779-6315.
Ticket sales, said Urban-Smith, are going as expected. Half the senior class has purchased tickets, and typically the rest of the sales are the final week. Tickets are $100 for a guest (someone other than a Live Oak or Central High senior), and $80 for seniors until the night of the event, when all tickets will be $100 at the door.
There is no charge for food and beverages during the event, and grads and their guests can also have their hair styled or indulge in henna tattoos.
As in previous years, there will be a casino, a DJ, a band and a “boardwalk” outside the gym with more physical activities.
Families and others not attending the event are welcomed to tour the transformed gym after the graduation ceremony. But doors won’t officially open for graduates to stay and party until 10pm, giving them time to have dinner or other celebrations with their families, Urban-Smith said.
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. She can be reached by e-mail at md****@mo*************.com or phoning (408) 779-4106 ext. 202.
