Alien Hovers Over Woburn? Nah, Just Part of the All-night Graduation Party

Was it a dream?

The report of an alien hovering over the .

Dancing by seven newly-minted WMHS graduates—one as Tom Jones; two guys tangoing, complete with rose; and all seven strutting their stuff together, in front of an audience of their peers.

No dream. Just a little hypnosis.

Just under 200 members of the WMHS Class of 2011 gathered at the country club Sunday evening between 10 and 11 p.m. after graduation for the traditional all-night party. The party ended at 5 a.m. Monday morning.

One of the highlights of the party, according to graduates, was hypnotist Joe Devito. He led seven members of the class through different scenarios, to the delight of the audience, from roughly 2 to 3:30 a.m. A DJ rocked the house. Earlier in the evening, a caricaturist and tarot card readers entertained the guests.

The party is held to keep the new graduates safe instead of going from party to party after graduation, explained party committee Chair Deb Davis. This year’s party turnout was around the usual number, she said, out of some 350 graduates. The party has been held on graduation night for about 20 years, Davis said; she’s worked on it for about eight years.

Once guests sign in, they must stay the night.

At around 3:30 a.m., several of the graduates shared with Woburn Patch what they’d be doing if they weren’t at the party.

“I’d be asleep,” said Christina Dowd. Lauren Graham agreed. Jessica Culhane said she’s probably be sleeping, too. One student, a male who declined to give his name, said he’d probably be “driving around.” There were no cars on Route 3, Cambridge Street, from Route 128 to the country club around 2:15 a.m., and as few as one and as many as three in sight at one time on 128.

At the country club door, 2007 WMHS graduates and chaperones Courtney Brothers and Kate Holland recalled their own all-night party.

“We didn’t want to leave,” Holland said.

“We loved being together (as a class)," said Brothers.

After the hypnotist left, the dance floor filled with graduates, wearing or waving green necklace-length glow sticks. Some wore orange T-shirts that proclaimed on the back: “Up All Night.”

Before the party ended, the guests were to have received gift certificates to Target and raffle prizes. Some dorm-size fridges were ready to go home with some of the guests.

Around 3:45 a.m., Emily Murphy stepped into the room next door to the music and dancing, where the Chinese food had been set up. If she hadn’t come to this party, she said, seeming to be wide awake, she probably would have partied until midnight. Then, she said, she would have gone to sleep.