The grand proposal

Norma Flores, Sports Editor

May 31, 2013

After fiancé Kevin Miller proposed to math teacher Ms. Michelle Gunderson on May 10, at the Dodger Stadium, the couple plans to have their wedding next summer. The proposal was recorded on the Kiss Cam for the entire stadium to watch.

After almost five months of preparation to make the “grand proposal”math teacher, Michelle Gunderson was proposed marriage by her fiancé, Kevin Miller on May 10, at Dodger Stadium during a game.

After dating for five and a half years, Miller decided it was time to take the next step in their relationship. During the end of the fourth inning of the baseball game, Gunderson was proposed on the Kiss Cam in front of thousands of people: strangers, fans and family members who were hidden in the stands, sharing the moment that was unraveling in front of them.

“I had a gut feeling, but I didn’t know” Gunderson said. “see I didn’t think he had time to buy the ring yet, the rational side of me said, ‘No, he hasn’t bought the ring’ but then the other side of me just thought that something felt off about him that day.”

Coming into that magical day she experienced one of the “best days of her life”, but For Kevin Miller, there were a few obstacles in obtaining that perfect moment for his then girlfriend.

“I think my main struggle leading up to the proposal was figuring out how to hide the ring,” Miller said, “I would say it was about twice as big as a phone.”

In the process of attempting to hide the box, there was ideas such as taping it to the leg, or putting it in Miller’s pants pocket and attempting to hide it under the Dodgers jersey. Finally, Miller opted for a more conventional way, as he put it under his arm and held it there for nearly three hours, while trying to act as natural as possible. Once it was decided where the ring would be hidden, a new problem arose –how to get past security without causing commotion that could possibly mess everything up.

“I left her behind and moved lines just to get by fast, so they wouldn’t metal detect me and I wouldn’t get caught with the ring,” Miller Said.

Miller opted for a Dodgers game, not for a symbolic meaning, although Gunderson is a die-hard fan of the Dodgers, but rather because he believed that she would want it in that manner, with pictures and a grand audience.

“That had been my lifelong dream, and he didn’t know it, but I told my mom and sister that I wanted to be proposed at Dodger Stadium,” Gunderson said. “and I wanted to run up and down the stairs and have everyone cheer for me.”

Although Gunderson was able to experience a proposal in front of thousands of people, there was one small detail she noticed that could have made the moment even more unforgettable.

“In all the pictures I have, you can’t see my face, you can only see Kevins face,” Gunderson said, “but, after looking through a few pictures I noticed that a man took pictures that had my reactions rather than my fiancés.”

In order to try to obtain the pictures that could express her reactions, Gunderson set out to use social media in order to find the man who could make her happiness complete. She posted a picture that showed the man circled in green and next to it a little blurb of the reason why she is in search of him. Within a span of a few hours her picture had been shared on Facebook more than 600 times. With the help of her friends, as well as students, the sharing was spread more than she anticipated.

“I don’t have Ms. Gunderson as a friend on Facebook, but I don’t know how the picture showed up on my newsfeed and I just had to share it” Alejandra Chantre said.

Finally, after a few days, the picture had been shared 1,629 times.

“Although, I think we might not find him, it just made me feel great that there are so many nice people out there, like a Disney story where I’m suppose to learn a lesson” Gunderson Said.

The search continues, in attempts to find the mysterious man with the pictures, however; a few pictures does not stop Gunderson from remembering one of the best days of her life which came to be at a Dodger game against the Marlins at the end of the fourth inning with the dream come true of finally being “cute enough” for the Kiss Cam.

About the Contributors

Norma Flores, Sports Editor

Norma Flores, 12, is a writer and photographer for The Downey Legend for the second year in a row. She wants to portray Downey High through images that kindle others to want to be involved with their campus. “I’ve always had an interest in writing and photography,” Flores said. “I would like to show others what I’m capable of.” A goal Flores has in mind is to be an FBI agent, criminal profiler, or a part of the Behavioral Analysis Unit because she is interested on how an individual’s mind is persuaded to commit a certain type of crime. Her main interest is swimming, but she also enjoys reading books and writing whatever comes to her mind. Flores’s hobbies are working out and running because she feels free when doing so. One of her dreams is to become an Olympic swimmer. “I want to make my life worth it and would like to impact on other’s lives too, because the world has a lot to offer to us,” she said. “We shouldn’t conform because we each have some sort of role to play, and we should push ourselves over our own comfort zones and be daring.” Although Flores may have a lot to show to her peers regarding her capabilities, she may also inspire those who do not know her through the dedication expressed by her own skills.

Marilyn Ramirez, Copy Editor/Co-Editor-in-Chief

For senior Marilyn Ramirez, newspaper is not only a class. No, for this young journalist, The Downey Legend is her inner voice, her happy, her passion, her future. Ramirez sets out to improve her writing ability with every new story, setting new goals for herself with the start of every deadline. She is currently the Copy Editor and Co-Editor-in-Chief on staff. She joined the online publication in order to gain experience in journalism; after studying at either UC Berkley or San Francisco State University, she is certain she will write for Time Magazine and develop a career in photojournalism. Ramirez plans on hiking through war-zones, or the jungles of Borneo in order to capture the beauty she wishes to documents. This journalist has no space in her agenda for anything less than extraordinary. When she is not writing stories or improving her photo and web layout skills, Ramirez enjoys spending time with her better half, Kyle Hudspeth. Like many others, she adores Disneyland and shopping . She might be found at her favorite drinks chain, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, reading a book or making awkward conversation with strangers. She has an unbelievable amount of positive energy, which she utilizes in a myriad of activities from school work, to staff bonding, however, it is not so obnoxious, because it is balanced out with the right amount of sarcasm. Ramirez is a fast-paced, modern girl of sorts with a dedicated disposition; she is undoubtedly heading toward great heights.