Patrick County High School - Archive Yearbook (Stuart, VA)

Page 32 text:

Southern Mts A starry sky and an elegant ballroom set the scene for the Junior-Senior prom. Endless afternoons and nights of work by the juniors went into the conversion of the gymnasium. Many do not real¬ ize how much work and time went into putting together the prom. Committees were estab¬ lished, a theme was decided on, and decorations were planned. Juniors and several teachers worked diligently until prom night. Decorating was of¬ ten slow, and money ran thin. Finally, the long-awaited night arrived. At eight o’clock, Saturday, April 26, 1986, the magical night began. As couples stepped into the gym, they were transported back into the past, back to the time of “Gone With The Wind. A southern plantation helped to complete the theme of “Southern Nights.” It was complete right down to the mailbox with Colo¬ nel Donnel painted on it. Since funds were short, the juniors voted whether or not to have a live band or catering ser¬ vice. The idea of having a live band won out. The music was provided by Staxx. Even though the feelings of having a band were apprehensive, it went over well with everyone. Even the chaperones and their dates got out on the dance floor to boogie. The “Southern Night” ended all too quickly, but it was filled with special memories for ev¬ eryone. For the seniors it was one of their last great memo¬ ries of high school. The juniors will look forward to next year. With the top 40 sound of Staxx, the night was almost like heaven . Darian Hylton listens intently as J.B. Large explains the plans to transform the lobby into the yard of a grand southern mansion. Jean Castillo smiles at her date, Tim Britt, as they dance the night away. As King and Queen of the prom, Brad Dalton and Jo Handy dance in what seems a world full of nothing but themselves. 28 Prom

Page 34 text:

On Broadway “What is a Pooka?” “A what?” “A pooka.” “You can search me, Mrs. Chumley.” “I wonder if it would be in the Encyclopedia there?” “P-O-O-K-A. Pooka. From old Celtic mytho¬ logy. A fairy spirit in animal form. Always very large. The pooka appears here and there, now and then, to this one and that one at his own caprice. A wise but mischie¬ vous creature.” A 6 ' V 2 tall white rabbit? Let’s be serious. Everyone knows that such things just don’t exist. Many people are still skeptical about E.T. and The Gremlins, not to mention a gigantic, invisible rabbit! But, just try telling that to Elwood P. Dowd and see what happens. One may very well ask, “who is Elwood P. Dowd?! Elwood was the main character in the faculty play, “Harvey,” and Harvey was the V 2 white rab¬ bit, the invisible star of the play. It seems that Elwood (Mark Donnell) was the only person who could actually see this white monstrosity. He tried to introduce Harvey to all his friends, but that proved to be a difficult task, since Harvey was invisible. Finally convinced that he was crazy, and hoping to im¬ prove her family’s social life, El- wood ' s sister tried to have him committed to a mental insti¬ tute. However, quite by acci¬ dent, Veta Louise Simmons (Mott Martin) was committed, in what leads to a bizarre com¬ edy of errors. This left Elwood to roam the streets unattend¬ ed, though not totally alone; his friend Harvey, the pooka, was with him. In the play, Mary Jane Taylor gave a convincing performance as Mrs. Chauvenet, while Bid- gie Buchanan did equally as well in the role as Nurse Ruth Kelly. Marsha Honeycutt played the part of Myrtle Mae Simmons, and Nelson Moore, Sue Bleckley, James Love, Pam Owens, Nelson McConnell, and Bill Pons drew applause and laughter in their supporting roles. In Dr. Sanderson’ s consultation room, the staff of Chumley’s Rest determine that it is Mrs. Simpson who needs to be institutionalized. Veta Louise tries, however unsuccessfully, to convince Nurse Ruth Kelly that Elwood is indeed a threat to society. Mrs. Chauvenet (Mary Jane Taylor) attempts to calm Veta Louise (Mott Martin) after Elwood introduces Harvey to her friends. At the sanitarium, Dr. Sanderson and Nurse Kelly restrain Elwood and attempt to prevent Mr. Wilson from hurting both Elwood and Harvey. 30 Harvey