SECRET BASH A GIFT FOR AGOURA GRADS ALL-NIGHTER OFFERS A SAFE ALTERNATIVE.Byline: Amy Raisin raisin, in botany and cooking raisin, dried fruit of certain varieties of grapevines bearing grapes with a high content of sugar and solid flesh. Although the fruit is sometimes artificially dehydrated, it is usually sun-dried. Staff Writer AGOURA HILLS - For months, parents and volunteers have secretly gone about planning Agoura High's annual all-night graduation Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the associated ceremony. The date of event is often called degree day. The event itself is also called commencement, convocation or invocation. party, securing a secret location and developing a theme for the departing de·part v. de·part·ed, de·part·ing, de·parts v.intr. 1. To go away; leave. 2. To die. 3. seniors. With the countdown to graduation, parents are putting the final touches on the $35,000 to $40,000 bash they say provides a safe alternative to house parties and other celebrations for grads. ``It's a very dangerous time between prom and graduation'' for the kids, said Jackie Raskind, a co-chair for the event. ``It's party, party, party. They tend to be a little more reckless reckless adj. in both negligence and criminal cases, careless to the point of being heedless of the consequences ("grossly" negligent). Most commonly this refers to the traffic misdemeanor "reckless driving. .'' With an eye on keeping teens sober and safe, Agoura parents and volunteers are planning the all-night graduation bash, the 10th consecutive year for the supervised su·per·vise tr.v. su·per·vised, su·per·vis·ing, su·per·vis·es To have the charge and direction of; superintend. [Middle English *supervisen, from Medieval Latin party. Following graduation ceremonies on June 16, seniors will board a bus to an undisclosed location and party to a surprise theme, which in the past has included casino night
A Casino Night (also called Vegas Nights, Las Vegas Night, Monte Carlo Night) is an entertainment event with a casino theme. , a tribute to Hollywood and a circus theme. Sheriff's Sgt. Tim Youngern of the Malibu/Lost Hills juvenile intervention A procedure used in a lawsuit by which the court allows a third person who was not originally a party to the suit to become a party, by joining with either the plaintiff or the defendant. unit said the yearly event makes life easier for police. ``Especially, at this time when there's a lot of dangers, the parents provide a safe environment for them to celebrate the end of their high school careers,'' he said. Money for the facilities, food and entertainment comes from donations and ticket sales for the event, Raskind said. She said that the party - including a disc jockey disc jockey (DJ) Person who plays recorded music on radio or television or at a nightclub or other live venue. Disc jockey programs became the economic base of many radio stations in the U.S. after World War II. , prizes and decorations - usually costs $35,000 to $40,000. ``We've had tremendous support from local businesses, organizations and parents,'' Raskind added. Lee Westfall, who graduated from Agoura High in 1997, said his class's casino-themed surprise fete on the 25th floor of a Woodland Hills high- rise was a means not only to celebrate, but to say goodbye. ``Everybody was going their separate ways, so I think it was a chance for everyone to say goodbye. It was good.'' Westfall also said the alcohol- and drug-free surroundings and the fact that the event was secured - no one can leave until the end - did not deter many kids from attending. ``I think most everybody went,'' Westfall said. Of the 415 graduating students this year, Raskind said about 375 are expected to attend. Once there, they will have dinner and, at 3 a.m., breakfast. ``It's been quite successful since the very beginning,'' Raskind said. ``They like to have it a secret. It's like a Christmas present.'' |
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