Page 94 - 1986
P. 94

verybody  knows  who  Santa
                                                                            E      is  and  everybody  knows
                                                                                   what  he  does.  He  flies
                                                                            around  the  world  in  one  night,  or
                                                                            does  he?  Actually  the  truth  is  out.
                         Connie  Derry       Ron  Gabriel                   He  has  helpers  in  every  state,
                                  English           English                 province  and  country,  you  know,
                                                                            sub-Santas.  The  sub-Santa  who
                                                                            covers  the  Nebraska  scene  is  none
                                                                            other  than  English  Teacher  John
                                                                            Morrissey.
                                                                              Morrissey  started  about  10  years
                                                                            ago  as  a  Santa  at  Omaha’s
                                                                            Crossroads  Shopping  Mall.  The
                                                                            factor?   Money.   How    much?
                                                                            Enough  for  Christmas  presents.
                                                                            Even  though  the  money  wasn’t  the
                          Rosie  Hogan      Mark  Johnston                  best,  he  said  he  had  experienced
                                  English   English,  freshman              everything.  “I’ve  experienced  it
                                                 class  sponsor
                                                                            all—kids wetting their pants on me,
                                                                            sticking suckers  and ice cream con­
                                                                            es  in  my beard and  telling  me  their
                                                                            innermost  secrets.”  said  Morrissey.
                                                                            The  most  touching  comment  came
                                                                            from  a  5-year-old  boy  who  asked
                                                                            “Santa”  not  to  let  his  father,  who
                                                                            was in a car wreck the night before,
                                                                            die.
                                                                              Right now, Morrissey is a private
                                                                            Santa.  Between  Thanksgiving  and
                                                                          ~  Christmas  he  said  he  gets  25  to  30
                            Rita  Keiser     John  Morrissey                requests  to  be  Santa.  He  has  also
                       Reading,  Personal    English,  freshman/
                                                                            donned  his  own  suit  (made  by
                         Communications     sophomore  play  director
                                                                            Westside  Spanish  teacher,  Lydia
                                                                            Burgos)  and  custom-made  beard
                                                                            and wig for family and friends.
                                                                              He has  a lot of acting experience
                                                                            such as playing Daddy Warbucks at
                                                                            the  Upstairs  Dinner  theater,  a
                                                                            World Radio television commercial
                                                                            and  playing  President  Peron  at  the
                                                                            Omaha    Community    Playhouse,
                                                                            among  other roles.  He  says  his  ac­
                       William  Nouak        Nancy  Rice                    ting  experience  has  helped him  be­
                       English,  assistant   Journalism,  newspaper,        cause  Santa  is  a  character  and “...I
                        sophomore  class     yearbook,  photography,        try  to  be  as  believable  as  any
                                  sponsor                       English     character I play on stage.”












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                           Jan  Rowley       Daryl  Taylor       Charles  Tichy      Elizabeth        Jack  Donnelly
                           English, junior  English,  English    English,  debate,        Ditton                 English
                        class  sponsor,  Ski     Department               speech     English,  Ski
                             Club  sponsor         Chairman                        Club  sponsor,
                                                                                     junior class
            86 EngliSh                                                                   sponsor
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