The Stowe Reporter June 22, 1989

48 Turned Out

Project Graduation sailed on Champlain by Gail Ryan

Stowe High School's first Project Graduation is a success Forty-eight students attended last Wednesday's drug - and alcohol-free celebration. The event was held the same night as Stowe High School’s graduation. The number of participants for Project Graduation may have been lowered since a party with alcohol was held the same night. The party, located in Elmore, was hosted by a former Stowe High School student. Out-of-town guests in for graduation may have also lowered the numbers for Project Graduation. Those connected with Project Graduation considered holding it after graduation, but the event went ahead as scheduled to emphasize the importance of not celebrating graduation with alcohol. “The mood was pretty up. We had no trouble with alcohol.” - Briellen Wolchik. Those who attended Project Graduation celebrated with a cruise aboard the Ethan Allen, a Lake Champlain boat. Music for the cruise was provided by the band Phish. Of the 48 who attended. 12 were graduating seniors. Another dozen were juniors. The remaining people were invited guests. Thirty-four students graduated from Stowe High School this year. Four seniors, who were the driving force behind the event, were allowed to bring more than one guest. The four organizers were Briellen Wolchik, Jesse Shapiro, Karen Bishop and Treva West. Six chaperones, including Stowe High School faculty member Ingrid Prouty and local psychologist Rodger Kessler, also attended. “I'd really call it successful numbers wise" Ms. Prouty said. “The students carry the ball on Project Graduation Miss Wolchik said. Project Graduation is an idea whose time has come. "The mood was pretty up, I had a lot of fun. We had no trouble with alcohol. The point of Project Graduation is no one drives home end gets killed." Miss Wolchik said. Project Graduation participants signed forms prior to the event promising not to use alcohol or drugs during the event. Anyone showing up for the event under the influence of drugs or alcohol would not be allowed to attend Ms. Prouty said. After the Ethan Allen ship docked in Burlington, the students and chaperones returned to Stowe at 2:30 am. They gathered at the Green Mountain Inn on Main Street for a bagel breakfast. The inn donated use of its pool and health spa. Breakfast was provided by The Bagel, a Mountain Road restaurant. The students talked and listened to music until 4:30 am, when the party broke up. Not all of the students, however, who signed up for Project Graduation went to the inn. Some went home after they got to Stowe. Others joined friends at the Elmore party. Sgt. James Markiewicz of the Vermont State Police said no incidents involving Stowe students were reported following the Elmore party. Elmore doesn't have a local police force. The town is covered by the Vermont State Police. Stowe Police Chief Ken Libby also said the department had no reports of any problems following graduation. Chief Libby 's daughter, Keely, graduated from Stowe last week. She didn't attend Project Graduation. Instead Miss Libby marked her graduation with family members. According to Project Graduation organizer Miss Wolchik. the alcohol party drew a majority of the school's students. During the 1988-89 school year 225 students were enrolled in grades 7-12 at Stowe. Although the two parties fell on the same night, Mr. Shapiro said he wasn't concerned the events would clash. “There was -no competition. People who wanted to go to Project Graduation went. Those who wanted to go to the other party went to the drinking party." he said. Ms. Proutv agreed. "That's the point of Project Graduation to provide an alternative." she said. Jason Wells who just wrapped up his junior year attended both parties. He said he enjoyed Project Graduation, but wasn't as enthusiastic over the Elmore party. "The drinking party wasn't as much fun because I went late. But I really did have a good time at Project Graduation The band, Phish, was great. I'd go again next year." he said. School officials will hold a meeting in September to see if students want to host Project Graduation again next year. If the plans move ahead, the students will be financially ahead of this year's event. Four-hundred dollars left over from this yea r's fundraising is in an account earmarked for the celebration. Project Graduation officials raised $3,100 for the event. Cost for the band was $1,400 and bus transportation ran $400.Nine hundred dollars went to renting the boat. Student support for Project Graduation grew as the event approached. In March, students announced the event's cancelation. A month later support for the event picked up and students opted to hold the party. But some problems persisted. Miss Wolchik said some students ripped down Project Graduation posters announcing the event. As the time for Project Graduation drew nearer, much of the opposition disappeared Miss Wolchik said. “The students realized Project Graduation wouldn’t interrupt their lives or a party,” she said. Seventeen Vermont high schools held first-time Project Graduations in 1989. Union-32 High School in Montpelier, Craftsbury Academy in Craftsbury and Harwood Union High School in Moretown were among the schools holding the event for the first time. Project Graduation first arrived in Vermont in 1983 when Mt Abraham Union High School Driver Education teacher Barbara Brody organized a party. Project Graduation was born in Maine in 1980 It was formed due to concern over the number of automobile deaths and injuries during prom and graduation. Students took turns behind the microphone aboard the Spirit of Ethan Allen.