On a Tuesday night at Oyster River High School, you probably wouldn’t expect to see ten students frolicking across the stage shouting random things in front of a laughing crowd, but this is the night of the ORHS hypnotist show.
Once again, the junior class hosted the annual hypnotist fundraiser show at ORHS on the night of September 24 during spirit week. The tradition is a way to raise money for the junior class and give students a chance to participate in a fun and interactive show. This year featured a new hypnotist who focused on a fun and family friendly night.
The show featured dancing, karate kicking, and a lot of confusion among participants. Alana Eisenberg (‘21) explained how it felt to be hypnotized for the first time. “It’s like when you wake up from a dream. You remember the things you did in the dream, and while they were happening they felt real, but when you wake up it’s like those things happened but it doesn’t feel like reality,” said Eisenberg.
Eisenberg has been going to the hypnotist shows for the past couple of years, but this was her first time as a participant in the show. Although only a certain amount of people had the chance to be hypnotized, Eisenberg said it feels like everyone’s a part of the show. “It’s a really great idea because it’s not one of those things where it’s only fun if you’re up there. There is a good incentive to go because whether you want to go up or you don’t, you’ll end up having a good time,” she said.
Evy Ashburner (‘22), attended the hypnotist show for the first time this year. “ The show was really funny, especially to see people in our grade and our friends get hypnotized,” says Ashburner. A variety of students from each grade had the opportunity to be a part of the show, which enabled viewers to directly connect to those of their class.
A change that was implemented this year was the decision to use a different hypnotist. Frank Santos Jr., the hypnotist at Tuesday’s show, has been performing hypnosis since 1994 and returned to ORHS for the show after performing about 6 years ago.
Santos, who travels all over the country performing hypnosis shows, said that he prefers working with students. “High school kids seem to be fun, easy, and they want to volunteer. High school and college kids makes for an easier show, but it’s harder to keep everyone’s attention.” Santos is carrying on his family’s legacy as his father performed shows since Santos was three years old.
Barb Milliken, the junior class advisor, helps coordinate the show every year and was happy to help run it again. “ [The show] did seem a little long, but I laughed a ton, so that tells me it was a success,” she said.
Besides prom, the show is the biggest fundraiser for the junior class. Milliken said, “since I’ve been the junior class advisor, the cost of prom has skyrocketed. For that reason, this fundraiser is essential to keeping prom at a reasonable price for everybody.” Milliken said that this year’s turnout was huge which means a successful fundraiser for the Class of 2021.