Stevenson Students Awed By DeLorean From Back to the Future

None of the current students at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire were alive in 1989 when Back to the Future Part II was released.

The talk of the nation on Wednesday, of course, was that this is the day (October 21, 2015) when main characters Doc Brown and Marty McFly travel to the future in the movie. It’s a fun tidbit to think about what you are doing today and how closely it fits into the “predictions” made in the flick.

But those same Stevenson students who weren’t even born when the movie came out probably have a cooler story about it that you. They had the rare opportunity to see the time-traveling DeLorean car in person.

It turns out it wasn’t one of the three actually used in the movie, but one of the few replicas. And it was shown to the public for the final time at Stevenson.

The buzz began at the school even before the car arrived, as fans of the movie and television trucks helped fill the parking lot outside of Circle Drive.

When the car did arrive from its home location at Windy City Novelties in Vernon Hills, accompanied by a police car, school officials didn’t have much time to enclose it under a tent.

Not a chance. The students outside at the time flocked to the piece of movie history, surrounding it in awe.

“This is really an awesome experience,” said Ari Machtinger, a sophomore who took time during lunch to view the car with his friend, Jacob Sparreo. “The props they have here make this experience even more awesome.”

“It’s not everyday you get to see a piece of history, and on a day this significant, it makes it even cooler,” added Sam Kornick, a senior at the school.

The car was brought to the school through a mutual friend of Stevenson art teacher Patrick Fairchild and Mike Schrimmer of Windy City Novelties, who owns the 1981 DeLorean Motor Company DMC-12 that includes the flux capacitor, food processor and plutonium tanks.

Other props present during lunch hours at the school Wednesday were the Hover Board (of course), Marty McFly jacket and a music player blasting songs from the hit movie.

According to school spokesman Jim Conrey, this will actually be the final time the DeLorean will be shown to the public. Schrimmer has decided to retire it.

“That sort of makes this moment even more special, and the opportunity even greater for the kids,” he said.

While dozens of students had their photos taken with the car, some admitted they had never seen the movie.

But not freshman Haley Kedzierski, who came decked out in “McFly” gear, claiming she has been a fan of the film since she was five years old.

“I’ve been waiting 10 years for this day, and wow. I can’t believe it’s actually here,” she said.