‘I think that it’s become the cool thing.’ Pat Will, co-chairman Grad Night : Parents Build Safety Into Grad Night Party

In an effort to prevent alcohol and drug use on graduation night, Huntington Beach High School parents on Saturday put away their business suits, donned their blue jeans and took up a fistful of penny nails they will use to build a place for the graduates to party safely.

The parents, many of whom are upscale professionals, have come together each Saturday since last September to remodel the high school’s gymnasium to fit the senior’s choice of theme for the traditional Grad Night celebration, “Jungle Safari.”

The set is being built in an unused building on another part of the campus and will be moved into the gymnasium just before the June 15 event.

And, like many other high school grad night parties, this one will also run until the wee hours of the dawn. However, unlike other similar celebrations, this one is designed to be alcohol- and drug-free.

“We are doing this for several reasons. First, we love our kids. We want them to have a memorable evening following their graduations, but we want to make sure that they do not put themselves or the community at risk by the use of alcohol or drugs,” said Pat Will, 51, co-chairman of the 1989 Grad Night committee.

Last to Adopt Idea

Will said Huntington High is the last high school in the district to adopt a plan for providing an all-night safe and sober party for the seniors.

“We’ve seen it work elsewhere and were encouraged by many of the seniors to put something together for them. So here we are,” Will said, adding that parent volunteerism for the project has been “infectious.”

The party will be open only to graduating members of the class. The $50 ticket price includes all the food and non-alcoholic drinks that the graduates can consume. The gym will also have a dance floor and casino area. During the event, a drawing for a trip for two to Hawaii will also be held.

Once inside the converted gymnasium, the students will stay until the event breaks up early the the next day. Will explained that by not allowing the students to go in and out of the building, the chance of them getting access to alcohol is minimized.

“The parents have been great. We’ve even had one parent donate some time from his architectural firm to provide us with blueprints of the sets,” Will said. “(And) I think that kids are really getting behind this. I think that it’s become the cool thing.”

The professions represented by the parents include airline pilots, doctors, lawyers, teachers and real estate investors. They are bound, according to Will, by the concern that graduation night activities have led to growing numbers of alcohol-related deaths and injuries on Orange County roads and highways.

“I think that it’s wonderful that these folks have come out to help like this. And they’ve been here since the start,” Will said of the 75-parent committee. “I think that besides the friendships that have been created, it gives many of the parents an artistic outlet that they don’t often get a chance to explore.”

For the parents, the energy directed toward producing the extravaganza has often been enjoyable, if not slightly tiresome.

‘Paint by the Numbers’

“I paint by the numbers--literally,” said Huntington Beach English teacher Jan Osborn, 37. “I paint, I glue, I eat lunch,” Osborn quipped as another panel was being painted and readied for the event.

“I teach in this district, and I know that there is abuse of drugs and alcohol. I am so glad to see that we are taking this problem seriously and are doing something about it,” Osborn said.

For parent Randy Barsh, 46, the grad night party means that students will have a place to go after graduation that is both “cool” as well as safe.

“This is one great bunch of guys and gals. So far, they won’t let me near a hammer, but I’m good with the glue gun,” Barsh said.