WHS Graduates Party to the Early Morning Hours

After working hard for four years, the new graduates of Westfield High School celebrated last night's graduation with a ‘BASH’ at the Ricochet Health and Racquet Club in South Plainfield.

From 11 p.m. to 4:30 a.m., the students enjoyed the annual Project Graduation party. The range of activities included massages, nail art, Wii Rock Band, laser karaoke, an inflatable obstacle course, a pedestal joust, a fortune teller, balloons by Magic Bob, a card reader, caricatures, and pool activities. They also received a commemorative t-shirt with this year’s chosen Harry Potter theme.

Project Graduation is an annual party held to give graduates a chance to celebrate their graduation in a party devoid of drugs and alcohol. Occurring for over two decades in New Jersey, the parties are common in most high schools in the region. Graduates said they were excited to be at the party, which was attended by about 85 percent of the 450 graduates.

Recent graduate Julia Burns said it was the nail art she was most looking forward to. Karen Boyle was “very excited” about the whole party.

The event was sponsored by the Optimist Club of Westfield, the Westfield High School Parent Teacher Student Organization and the Westfield Recreation Commission. The Optimist Club of Westfield is a not-for-profit service club that has been providing Westfield seniors a fun and safe place to have fun after graduation.

“The purpose of the party is to provide a fun, safe, drug and alcohol-free atmosphere for the senior class to celebrate their high school graduation, said Darielle Walsh, who helped coordinate the party.

Walsh explained the Westfield party has been on-going since 1989 and that the 85 percent attendence is average for graduating classes in town. Food and non alcoholic beverages are provided all night and raffle prizes are given during the evening.

The students who attended had to sign a code of conduct, show their ticket at the door, and use the provided bus transportation to and from the club, as there was security monitoring the door. Recent Westfield High School graduates who are now in college had the opportunity of volunteering to monitor BASH.

Walsh, a former councilwoman and school board president, said the all-night celebration is funded by the Optimist Club and various fundraising activities town-wide during the school year. She thanked all of the contributors for their support.

"(We have) one of the longest, continuous Project Graduations," she said.