gatsby party promises to entertain and intrigue
March 29, 2012
Jamie Steyer/Staff Writer
The end of March, the end of the book The Great Gatsby in APLAC classes... To seniors and juniors, that means one thing: party! The annual Gatsby party is a tribute to the book as well as an entire decade of change.
While the party is something of an institution at Ames High, many key changes have been made this year. Teacher and one of many party organizers Del Schmidt shared many of these changes, which include “more people coming, having (the party) during school, a greater variety of activities (including) a room for silent movies from the period, more gaming tables, and, depending on the weather, a possible 2-3 period cars, with one coming for sure”.
Students shop in closets of their own and others as well as various secondhand shops in pursuit of the perfect 20’s costume. Most of the female students look for loose-fitting, boxy dresses with fringe and ruffles, while the males look for a classic suit, suspenders, hats, and the like.
Food is also an important part of the setting, which will include authentic period appetizers for the first time. Also present will be a keg of root beer and “champagne” (sparkling grape juice).
At the party, some students will be acting as characters drawn from a variety of roles. Some are as simple as a dancer or aspiring singer, while other require more secrecy. “I will be an undercover cop looking to make some arrests on bootleggers with Deputy Vigil,” junior Leigh Ann Honzatko said.
The teachers have also chosen one of the boys present to be the character of Gatsby. All of the attendees of the party will be on the lookout for clues that will be dropped throughout the day by people who, according to Schmidt, “may be teachers”. At the end of the party, there will be a vote cast as to who Gatsby is.
Some students get more in to character than others as far as speech, dress, and behavior, but one thing is for sure: the Gatsby party is a fun, even educational, look in to the world of 1920s America and the world of Gatsby.
Jamie Steyer/Staff Writer
The end of March, the end of the book The Great Gatsby in APLAC classes... To seniors and juniors, that means one thing: party! The annual Gatsby party is a tribute to the book as well as an entire decade of change.
While the party is something of an institution at Ames High, many key changes have been made this year. Teacher and one of many party organizers Del Schmidt shared many of these changes, which include “more people coming, having (the party) during school, a greater variety of activities (including) a room for silent movies from the period, more gaming tables, and, depending on the weather, a possible 2-3 period cars, with one coming for sure”.
Students shop in closets of their own and others as well as various secondhand shops in pursuit of the perfect 20’s costume. Most of the female students look for loose-fitting, boxy dresses with fringe and ruffles, while the males look for a classic suit, suspenders, hats, and the like.
Food is also an important part of the setting, which will include authentic period appetizers for the first time. Also present will be a keg of root beer and “champagne” (sparkling grape juice).
At the party, some students will be acting as characters drawn from a variety of roles. Some are as simple as a dancer or aspiring singer, while other require more secrecy. “I will be an undercover cop looking to make some arrests on bootleggers with Deputy Vigil,” junior Leigh Ann Honzatko said.
The teachers have also chosen one of the boys present to be the character of Gatsby. All of the attendees of the party will be on the lookout for clues that will be dropped throughout the day by people who, according to Schmidt, “may be teachers”. At the end of the party, there will be a vote cast as to who Gatsby is.
Some students get more in to character than others as far as speech, dress, and behavior, but one thing is for sure: the Gatsby party is a fun, even educational, look in to the world of 1920s America and the world of Gatsby.