Editorial

Editorial

!s •

Prom Night

Years ago the annual high school prom had become a stale ritual. Students would acquire the necessary fancy dresses and rent the necessary tuxedos. They would appear at the prom in couples, stay a while, and^hen head off for a night of heavy drinking at private parties.

Unlike many proms, Rappahannock County High School’s was not just a senior class event. In essence the junior class raises funds to host a prom for the senior class, and members of both classes and their dates are invited.

Through most of the 1980s junior class funds were used for hiring a live band and purchasing materials for decorations. The prom was held in the high school gymnasium.

When the new, gymnasium was completed in 1988, the school administration decided it would not be available for dances. The former gymnasium had been converted into a cafeteria (called a commons area) and the auditorium. The junior class was told it could use the commons area or the elementary school gymnasium for the prom. Junior classes tried using the elementary gym for a few years, but they were not happy about the situation; the search was on for another location, and major junior class fundraising had to go into space rental.

At the same time groups in the community and school tried to organize alcohol-free after prom activities that could compete successfully with the private drinking parties.

For several years proms were held at Fauquier Springs Country Club in Fauquier County, and after prom parties were held at Lakeside Swim Club in Culpeper County. For a variety of reasons this was not entirely successful.

This past Saturday night the prom moved to the Bowling Green Country Club South with the after-prom party at Crooked Run Racquet and Fitness Center. Both locations are in Warren County and not far apart. And finally all the pieces fit together and the juniors and seniors participated enthusiastically.

Many attendees came as couples, but others came in groups. They stayed for most of the prom, and at the 5 a.m. closing Sunday morning chaperones were shooing RCHS students out of the afterprom party.

At the prom students danced to music provided by D. J. Connections until nearly midnight.

The after-prom party offered a wide variety of activities from “walleyball” to swimming to tennis, with such activities as bubblegum blowing, hula hoop and limbo contests and even a pin the tail on the donkey game thrown in. There were refreshments galore. Local merchants and businesses had chipped in to provide door prizes and food.

Everyone involved is to be congratulated for a job well done. Junior class sponsors Roger Flinchum, Tammy Snyder and Liz Hollie steered their charges toward a plan that worked. After prom •party organizers Susan Fox, July Tole and Kelly Settle deserve particular praise. They have made the junior-senior prom and drug and alcohol-free after prom party “the place to be” for Rappahannock students for one very long night in May.