92: The One in the Pool

 

Sandra came prepared. Chandra did not.

On September 14, 1991, Shane Hamilton's parents hosted the senior class for the first of two class parties held during the school year.  This one was meant to celebrate the start of the year, presumably and the second one held days before graduation and hosted by Chandra Maloney's folks, was a graduation party to celebrate the end of the year.  I wrote in my journal a couple of days later, on Wednesday, September 18 that "Saturday night was our class party at Shane Hamilton's house. It was awesome, the best one I ever went to."

Before things got crazy. I believe that is Jonathan Frey and Michelle Robinson looking so sophisticated

I think it was intended to be a typical party--well, a typical Adventist party with parents and teachers around any way (more truly typical parties went on at other times during the year. If you know, you know): Little cheese cubes, tiny sandwiches, bowls of chips and dip, plastic cups of soda.  I imagine there must have been games of some sort planned. In fact there was a boys against girls "flamingo" football game played in some dark expanse of yard (In flamingo football, the guys had to play on one leg. Unsurprisingly, the girls won).  But what I remember most about that class party is that everyone ended up in the Hamilton's pool, and that's what I have lots of pictures of.  

Some hapless soul creates a big splash

I'm not sure how it all began--just that at first it was just the girls being thrown in. Undoubtedly, it was testosterone fueled "flirting."  Adolescent fellas showing their manliness by hurling the pretty girls into the pool, while the girls shrieked in laughing (one hopes) protest. But soon enough the pool dunking spread until pretty much anyone was fair game.  The party that began poolside ended up being the party in the pool.

Sean Forde seems to have come prepared. Many of us did not.

Once everyone went home in their wet clothes, "joking around" continued with pranks being played upon unsuspecting schoolmates late into the night  .

Looking back, I'm wondering why they didn't just plan for it to be a pool party in the first place. It seems a bit obvious that people should plan to swim at a party where a pool is present.  But that wouldn't be the way of the class of 92.  Regular classes would have come prepared with swimsuits, towels, and suitable changes of clothes.  But that's just not how we do things.  With the class of 92 how things start is no indication of how things end up.