Grad Night is turning 20

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Davis Enterprise, The (CA)-June 7, 2004
Author: Maddy Ryen Enterprise staff writer

SECRET GARDEN: Heidi Bekebrede, left, and Susan Cotterel paint
trees on a mural to adorn the walls for Davis High School's Grad Night. The
theme is kept secret until the graduates arrive for the festivities. Greg
Rihl/Enterprise photo Then: In the summer of 1984, Sharon Rose called
together a group of Davis High School parents to discuss an idea: starting
a "grad night" at DHS.

Rose had first come across the idea when she herself graduated from
high school; her school was one of the few to hold grad nights at that
time. When Davis High went to start one, it was one of the few schools in
the country to do so; Rose was working in the alcohol and drug prevention
field and knew of schools that were doing them.

"We were asking, 'What can we do for our kids?' " Rose explained.
"(Grad Night) was a time for them to be together and it was something to do
so they didn't drink."

While the parents agreed they wanted to have a grad night, they did
not have a leader. Rose did not want her name at the head of Grad Night;
she was in charge of the "It's OK Not to Drink" program, and didn't want
students to avoid the party because of that.

Jeannie Spangler and Paula Miller, two parents present, looked at
each other and, in Spangler's words, thought, "We could do that." They took
on the responsibilities of coordinating Grad Night, and in the process of
doing so, Spangler said, "had a lot of fun."

On a shoestring budget - the money from ticket sales had to cover
most of the event costs - the parents set about throwing a party to
remember. Many of the elements that would become tradition were present at
that first Grad Night: Its Emerson Junior High location, its elaborate
themed decorations and even the popular movie room. Parents from younger
classes signed up to staff the various activities during the party itself,
so the kids wouldn't feel inhibited by the presence of their parents.

"We had tons of support from the community," Spangler noted. Every
business that donated to Grad Night received a framed certificate saying "I
support Grad Night." Rose said the organizers told every parent to thank
those businesses when they saw the certificates.

With parent work and community support, the first Grad Night on
Sunday, June 16, 1985, was a success by any standard. Out of a class of 420
students, 250 attended. No students who were drinking or were drunk were
allowed to attend, setting a custom for the years to come.

"I think it's important for kids to know that they can have a good
time without alcohol or drugs - they can have a fabulous time," Rose said.

The parents of the Class of 1986 had the chance to observe how to
put on a Grad Night; they were able to successfully recreate the experience
the next year.

Now: This Friday, the 20th annual Grad Night party will take place
at Emerson. The original experiment quickly became a tradition that would
only grow as the years went by.

"It's an amazing event for the seniors to celebrate one last,
fun-filled time together," said Joann Helmus, a current parent volunteer.
"Before they all scatter to their various academic and vocational pursuits,
they have an opportunity to be a part of their school community in this
completely positive setting."

Students who attend Grad Night - and more than 85 percent of each
class does - are able to participate in a variety of activities, including
a mock casino, miniature golf, a magic show and a hypnotist. The goal of
the parents is still the same: to provide a fun party that doesn't include
alcohol or drugs. The party is held directly after the graduation ceremony,
to reduce the chance that students will get drunk before Grad Night begins.

Students are given $2,500 worth of "devil bucks" at the door to use
to gamble at the casino or to buy extra tickets in a raffle that includes
prizes like an iPod, a portable DVD player and $250 gift certificates to
Arden Mall, Downtown Plaza and REI.

The scope of the planning and work involved has broadened since the
event began. More than 250 volunteers help with Grad Night from beginning
to end - parents, alumni families and members of the Rotary and Kiwanis clubs.

The budget for this year's Grad Night is $37,400, though that
figure doesn't reflect the donations of food and supplies made by many
local businesses. Each departing class bequeaths $6,000 to $7,000 to the
next year's Grad Night committee for start-up money. (Planning for Grad
Night can start one to two years before a class graduates.)

"Some people question spending that much money on one night," said
Vicki Moering, a parent volunteer. "But Grad Night is a gift we give to the
students. It is really a magical night."

Much of the event's cost is still covered by ticket sales. Tickets
start at $50 and can end up costing $65 at the door. Students and parents
who are buying tickets for their children are always encouraged to buy them
earlier in the year; this gives the organizers more money when they need to
buy supplies up front.

Volunteers create extensive decorations every year along a specific
theme - some favorites have included "Medieval Madness," "Spirit of
California" and "Time Travel." Guided tours of the completely decorated
site will be offered to the public after 4 p.m. Friday at Emerson, 2121
Calaveras Ave. The theme itself is kept a secret from the graduates until
they arrive.

Being drug- and alcohol-free remains an important aspect of the event.

"If there were no Grad Night there would be a lot of private
parties kids would be attending - all separate, and not with everyone in
the class," said parent volunteer Karen Schelegle, who's coordinating this
year's celebration. "There would be at least alcohol involved in many. It
only takes one time for a drunk graduate to die in an accident on the way
to or from a graduation party for the impact to be felt."

Above all, Grad Night remains an evening of fun for the graduates.

"The class (has) one last time to all be together," Rose said.

In a feature story published in 1987 in The Davis Enterprise,
original coordinator Paula Miller called the event "an upbeat, positive
thing to do - it is a tradition after only three years."

That tradition, in its 20th year, has continued on for thousands of
graduates who have had kept the party going at Grad Night.

- Reach Maddy Ryen at mryen@davisenterprise.net
June 7, 2004
Section: news
Record Number: 105CF9962846165ECopyright, 2004, The Davis Enterprise. All
Rights Reserved.

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