The Crusader

Spring was in the air on Saturday April 21st, the happy morning of the Junior Prom. As the young lassies were flitting about, doing nails, hair and makeup, the gentlemen were probably sleeping or trying on their suits one last time. There had been a 50% chance of rain, but it didn’t show on that fine morning, with the birds chirping, the green grass blowing in the light breeze, and the sun a-shining right in the middle of the cyan-blue sky. The Prom was set to start at 5:30 at the Lansdale Holiday Inn. Factor in pre-prom gatherings, and gals and guys alike had an early deadline to be "dolled up". Girls slept in, but once they woke up, they began to do their hair right away. As 4 o’clock rolled around the corner, pictures were being taken of handsome men and beautiful ladies. Parents were chatting, bagel bites were served, and many, many pictures were taken to document such an important event. Expectations of the Junior Prom were high, as people who swore they weren’t excited squealed the day before and gentlemen were still baffled by the ticket price. Junior Prom was important to the students that attended in that it was the first dance that was essentially formal as opposed to semi-formal and it was the first dance hosted by Lansdale Catholic outside of LC’s gym. At 5:30, people began to arrive. The young women were pictures of beauty and without a single blemish as they paraded into the brightly lit lobby of the Holiday Inn. The gentlemen were subdued for once as they took in the marvelous scene. Father Schiele took people’s names and allotted table numbers by the door. Teachers such as Ms. Burgoon, Mrs. MacKay, and Mr. Murray lined the walls with exultant smiles on their faces. It was a new experience to see fellow classmates in such formal attire looking so grown up and spirits were high. Greetings and exclamations were exchanged and pictures were taken. A photographer was taking cute prom pictures on a cotton-candy colored backdrop. The lobby extended to the dance hall, where tables were scattered on either side of the dance floor. Dinner was served around 6 o’clock, with tables called up one by one. Macaroni and cheese, roast beef, chicken, salad, and beverages were served. Tunes such as “My Girl” by the Temptations played, as everyone sang along to the classic lyrics. Tummies were filled by seven, with ice cream sundaes being distributed. People began to gather on the dance floor and groove to the beats. Couples paired up for romantic, enchanting slow songs, while Father Schiele roamed the crowd to assure the sanctity and cleanliness of the dance. Everyone was sweating from jumping, shaking, rocking and rolling. Excitement was tangible. The Juniors and their dates danced the night away for another three hours until the clock struck 10!