Gunderson High School - Yearbook (San Jose, CA)

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J, 4,i a i ik er is 2 ef tangy I ,,,v Tanya Wells, Christina VonGruben, Tonya VonGruben, and Kim Kosar, spirited in their red and white stripes and green bows, anticipate a night of excitement. M 4 e Q Dashing to the dance, in a brand new Cabriolet, through the park- ing lot we go, laughing all the way!!! ..... -And so begins one cold night in December when everyone dressed in shorts and headed to the Gun- derson gym for a night of music and funy The Senior class of '88 came up with a new idea for a Christmas dance this year. ln years past, ev- eryone bundled up in sweaters and scarves. But this year, the Seniors figured everyone was iust about sick of their winter clothes and de- cided it was time to get back out the summer attire. So they orga- nized a complete CHRISTMAS IN CALIFORNIA with a sunny out- Decemfexz Dance look but still tying in red and green. We used beach toys in the back- drop for the pictures and decorated al! afternoon to make the gym look like a hot ,December day, says Senior Laura Bowman. The result was people dressed in shorts with sweaters and bare-feet. A Student disc iockeys were hired for the firstitime for the dance. Gunderson Seniors Sean Rapier, Nei! Laslett, and Courtney Neilson filled the gym with good dance rnu- sic all night long. They played a variety of songs, but mostly new wave and soul. Having students D.J. the dance gave them an oppor- tunity to show their talent while helping out the school. Hopefully, they will be D.J.in9 future dances. Another new idea for the dence had to do with pictures. To ease down the line, photographers opened the doors o half-hour early so people could take pictures ahead of time. This way, people could use the whole dance time for actual dancing and not just waiting around. A large turn-out was expected for the dance due to the fact that the tickets completely said out. But for some reason, not half as many people as were expected ac- tually showed up . Though the gym was o bit less crowded, it was a dis- appointment for those who were hoping to see all their friends from school or a special guy or girl there.

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In September the doors were open and once again the Performing Arts De- partment embarked on another year of committment to great entertainment. Like all of the shows at GHS there was a great turnout of talent, so much that the show had to be double cast I two people for every one partj. The dual cast idea created more unity in the show: and that's what made it work! says Heather Lavigne. The show is based upon the many hu- morous experiences of Neil Simon, who was given the name Eugene Morris Jer- ome . He is going through his teenage years and wants to become a writer or a baseball player. During the play, we meet his family. The Jewish mother, the hard working father, the indecisive aunt, the pesky little cousin, the worldly and attractive older cousin, and of course the older brother who's Gotta stand up for what he believes in! The play is both lighthearted and comical as we see the natural changes that Eugene experiences during puberty. For in- stance, Eugene gets a crush on his older cousin and begins to ask questions about the birds and the bees and many other publically unmentionable facts of life. Truly these are not the only topics presented in the play. There were also many forms of dramatic expression: Eu- gene's father recovering from a heartat- tack, his brother losing his job, his older cousin determining her future, and his mother and aunt Ending honesty and friendship in one another. After casting the show was complet- ed, everyone went to work. Every day from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. the actors, di- rectors, crews and crewheads worked to ensure the show's success. Costumers and make-up artists researched to find just the right looks for the play's time period, while set constructors and light- ing designers worked on the physical and technical aspects of the show. These people are important too, be- cause without them the show doesn't happen. In the mean time, the actors prepared for their big night on stage. During the preparation time these indi- viduals came to school on weekends and school holidays to get their job done. In closing, it's quite obvious that it isn 't easy being in a show. It 's hard work and requires patience, dedication, and effort, not just talent. None of the staff members, adults as well as students, get paid for their efforts, but the end result shows that it's all worth it. Faqs