HIGH LIFE : Grad Night: Disneyland Is Not the Only Place

It used to be a foregone conclusion that seniors from local high schools would conclude their graduation festivities by spending the remainder of the night and the next morning with thousands of other teen-agers at Disneyland’s all-night party.

But today, more and more parents are getting together with schools to put on their own grad-night parties in an effort to provide an environment in which seniors may celebrate exclusively with their classmates for that one last time.

No matter where they’re doing the celebrating, one message remains loud and clear: Grad Night is a time to party.

Here are some responses to this week’s hot topic: “How are you going to spend Grad Night this year?”

“I will follow the tradition of going to the beach (with) my boyfriend and best girlfriend.”

--Melissa Morley, 18,

senior, Bethel Baptist

“Grad Night for me is also Father’s Day, so it won’t be the usual night out with friends, but a night out with one of my best friends, my dad.”

--Stephanie Ragsdale, 18,

senior, Bethel Baptist

“I plan to read comic books and watch television.”

--Adam Almazan, 18,

senior, Bethel Baptist

“I’ll go to the school-sponsored Grad-Night party and be with my class for the very last time.”

--Lori Bachand, 17,

senior, Brea-Olinda

“I’m spending it with friends, who are taking me out.”

--Keith Osborne, 17,

senior, Brea-Olinda

“I’m going to have a sober graduation so I know who does what to me.”

--Jeff Robles, 18,

senior, Brea-Olinda

“I’m going to Grad Night to spend time with friends before I go to London.”

--Amy Dorfman, 17,

senior, Brea-Olinda

“I’ll be spending Grad Night at Foothill’s party called ‘Around the World in 88 Nights.’ Our parents have been planning it all year. From 10 p.m. until the morning, there will be games, bands, food, prizes and everything.”

--Dina Nicolai, 18,

senior, Foothill

“Grad Night (at school) will be the place to be. It’s quite a production. It’s a great way to end the year--with your friends and without getting drunk.”

--Jason Constantine, 18,

senior, Foothill

“Wherever Foothill’s Class of ’88 spends Grad Night, I hope they make it safe and sober.”

--Traci Baird, 18,

senior, Foothill

“Getting a limo and partying.”

--Tawnya Furlong, 17,

senior, Fountain Valley

“Going to the Grad-Night party, the first one our school has ever had.”

--Kevin Anderson, 18,

senior, Fountain Valley

“PARTY!!!”

--Sonja Anderson, 18,

senior, Fountain Valley

“I’m going to party and then go to the Grad Night party, and hopefully win a car.”

--Keri Hawley, 18,

senior, Fountain Valley

“I am going on a school-sponsored excursion to a city (Burbank) I never knew existed. I hope it will be fun.”

--Tracy Trotter, 17,

senior, Fullerton

“I will be having a party at my house that night.”

--Hai Tran, 17,

senior, Fullerton

“I will probably be so tired from finals that I might go to bed early. I will probably end up going out with friends because I haven’t graduated yet.”

--Brian Young, 16,

junior, Fullerton

“I am going to Disneyland.”

--Sung Pyo, 18,

senior, Laguna Hills

“I am going to an extravagant dinner and to a plush hotel. I am celebrating!”

--Lynn Lambert, 18,

senior Laguna Hills

“I will definitely prepare for the upcoming school year by going to bookstores to get the first shot at buying books.”

--Steve Shafizadeh, 18,

senior, Laguna Hills

“I’m not going to participate in the traditional Grad Night at Disneyland. I think that a party would set the proper mood to celebrate the end of our four-year conquest.”

--Kevin Casagranda, 18,

senior, Laguna Hills

“I plan to party in a limo with my friends because it’s the last time for everyone to go partying.”

--Eric Tyner, 18,

senior, Loara

“I’ll be spending Grad Night celebrating my completion of a 12-year term. But when I wake up, I’ll be thinking about the five-year sentence at the college penitentiary for the crime of wanting to be successful.”

--Thang Pham, 17,

senior, Loara

“Stay sober, have fun and make it through another day.”

--Jeff Bock, 18,

senior, Loara

“I went to the Grad Night party that Mater Dei put on last Saturday.”

--Terrance Branley, 18,

senior, Mater Dei

“I will be spending it at an all-night party.”

--Susie Williams, 18, senior,

Southern California Christian

“I will probably spend part of it with my family for dinner, then go to the all-night party.”

--Cary Oliver, 17, senior,

Southern California Christian

“After the graduation ceremony, I will have a fancy dinner with my family and then go to the senior party.”

--Robert Ming, 17, senior,

Southern California Christian

“I’ll be chauffeuring all my drunk friends around because I’m the only one that’s going to be sober.”

--Chad Brundy, 17,

senior, Whittier Christian

“I’ll be going to a one-time-only, last-and-final graduation party. Hopefully, I will wake up the next morning . . . considering a lot of drunk people will be out that night.”

--Randy Rector, 18,

senior, Whittier Christian

“I’m going to stay up as long as I can with all my friends and do all the things I never could do.”

--Steve Cabales, 17,

senior, Whittier Christian

Next Week’s Hot Topic: “What are you going to do over summer vacation?”

Hot Topic responses gathered by Tina Wheatley (Brea-Olinda), Joanna Brooks (Foothill), Kristin Hardeman (Fountain Valley), Jason Loeb (Fullerton), Maureen McFadden (Laguna Hills), Jane Kim (Loara), Tanya Diaz (Mater Dei), Chai Mai (Southern California Christian), Lara Voloshin (Whittier Christian).