Watseka High School - Watchekee Yearbook (Watseka, IL)

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JUNIOR-SENIOR PROM What happens when an Indian named lniun Joe goes formal? Well l'lI tell you, what happens from very personal experience. lt was during the later part of April, 1951, that l received a formal invitation to one of the most anticipated events of the year--the iunior-senior prom. Now l had heard talk about this event ever since l came to visit W.C.l l.S. so naturally l was very anxious and willing to go. As a result of my anxiety, the night of May 4 found me eagerly iumping into my best blanket and feathers to attend the prom. lt was the first prom given in the new high school and really quite a gala affair. Between the hours of six and nine o'clock the heretofore ordinary gym vans transfixed into a modern supper club. The theme chosen for the supper club was Club 52 in honor of the graduating class of that year. Red and yellow were the principal colors of the supper club. They were used in the ceiling, bandstand, and wall silhouettes. White marble pillars were placed at strategic points around the walls to hold up the red and yellow ceiling. Large palms bedecked one wall of the supper club while huge buckets of champagne, slippers, md stars were adorned on the other walls. The banquet was served on individual tables seating four persons each. Boy waiters did the serving in true supper-club style. After the banquet Sam Williamson, the junior class President, gave a welcoming speech to the seniors, James Barnhart, the senior class President then gave the response. Short speeches were also given by Mr. Benjamin West, President of the Board of Education and Mr. Robert C. Grant, Principal of W.C.H.S. There was dancing between the hours of eight and twelve o'clock to the music of the Phil LeVant orchestra. About twelve o'clock the balloons were let down, this brought the events ofthe evening to a grand close and so l went home from my first prom, a very tired but happy Indian with wilted feathers. 75

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THE PRCM

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H Front Row---Gayle Flesher, Charlotte Owings, Karen Roberts, Dorothy Potter, Shirley Spring, Nancy Wil- liams, Sharon Wolfe, Ruth Ellen Prevo. Second Row---Margaret Jo Nally, Marilyn Riddle, Velma Thompson, Barbara Stump, Bill Mclaggart, Phil Boekhoff, JoAnn Stephenson, Shirley Crow,Joanne Barney, Mariorie Sweeney, Bob Seggebruch, Mary Cavitt. Third Row---Dale Davis, Keith Schmidt, Gerald Gregory, Darrell Decker, Terry Christy, Kenneth Clawson, Pat Unger, Jack Voigt, Roger Cavitt, Alvin Cluver. Back Row---Margaret Fay, Ralph Davis, Esther Prange, Don Morrison, John Lehman, Don Becker, Mr. Upon shuffling into school one early morning half awake, half asleep, I was suddenly alerted Kitzman. to consciousness. Were my poor old sleepy ears deceiving me? No, they were not! I heard music--Indian Music--drumsl I quickly pricked up my feathers and began following my ears to the beloved sound. I soon tracked it down but much to my dismay, I discovered its course was not of Indian Nature. No, indeed, you see I had finally stumbled upon Watseka's high school band practicing Jungle Jump . Maybe I should have been disappointed that it wasn't my Indian pals but I wasn't. Instead I quietly sneaked in and sat down in a back seat to listen. After they had finished practicing I went up to congratulate the conductor, as usual, I got curious, so I asked him a few questions. He answered them by telling me that he was Mr. Richard Kitzman, band conductor of Watseka High. l'le told me that the band has thirty-five members in it. They play at all of the football and basketball games plus presenting concerts throughout the year. They also are planning to enter the district contest this year both with individual numbers and as a group. 76