Grad Fashion Shows have become known over the last 50 years as a hilarious and extremely entertaining way for graduating students to raise money for their prom celebrations.
Last Thursday the final high school graduating class from Prince Rupert Secondary School presented “Thursday Night Live”, an evening full of laughs, fashions and good-byes.
“I think the Grad Fashion Show turned out really good. According to some sources it was the best yet. I’m proud of everyone, we really pulled it together,” said PRSS graduating student Shirene Ree-Hembling, who choreographed some of the dances for the event.
The first ever Grad Fashion Show was held in 1961 by students from the home economics class in order to help raise funds for graduating celebrations. 50 years later PRSS has stuck with the tradition adding acting, singing and dancing to the mix over the years. All skits, singing, dancing, etc are created by students, with teachers including main force Collette Cantin, helping students with the organization aspects, such as contacting merchants to lend their clothes.
Some merchants that lent clothes for this year’s show included Athlete’s World, Slickers, Udder Bags, Farwest, Loaded, Sea Sport, Anna’s Couture, Fashion Tailoring, The Salvation Army, Rock and Soul and Oceanside Sports. Also, to commemorate the end of PRSS, several students’ modeled vintage sports wear from the school’s history.
Skits poking fun at teachers from PRSS have become frequently used over the years, with no exceptions being made this year. Student Matthew Wigmore wrote two plays featuring students playing teachers, as well as lending his exceptional drama background to play teacher Kevin Sawka, a performance that had the audience laughing with nearly every line of his. Some other noteworthy teacher impersonations done by students included Kai Leach’s imitation of his father/PRSS Vice Principal Kevin Leach, a role that he shaved half of his head for and student Paula Loroff who played teacher Claudette Hornsby with a close to spot-on impersonation of her South African accent, as well as looking similar in appearance with a short haircut and tiny physique.
As usual many group dances were performed throughout the evening that had boys in drag, Barbie and gangster girls sharing the stage, and a dance-off between people from the 60’s and 70’s. Students Jenna Cann, Kate McWilliams, Mathew Wigmore, Taylor Slack, Shirene Ree-Hembling and Holly Pfrimmer were the creative minds that prepared the dances.