A Night To Remember
By Marisa Cagnoli and Rebecca Newsham
Students gather before Prom. (Photo: Regan Kireilis)
After weeks of preparation, T.C. seniors and their dates finally attended prom and enjoyed their “night to remember.”
While the dance started at 8:00 p.m., most students did not arrive until at least an hour later. Limos and party buses pulled up to the Marriott Crystal Gateway and discharged their formally-clad passengers, who had already enjoyed pre-prom dinners at some of the area’s finest restaurants. They presented their invitations to T.C. staff members sitting outside of the ballroom who welcomed them. The room was spacious but filled with prom-goers. Food, punch and water were available throughout the night. A DJ provided some musical variety with an emphasis on hip-hop and go-go.
Later in the evening, Principal Clendaniel crowned the 2009 prom court members. Marcus Via and Ilhan Ali were named duke and duchess, and Danny Ackerman and Rudy Abate were voted prince and princess. Fittingly, T.C. basketball stars Edward Jenkins and Tierra Ruffin-Pratt were this year’s prom king and queen. Instead of the traditional slow song, the court danced to the go-go hit, “Da Butt,” by Experience Unlimited. The band is particularly well-known at T.C. because the group’s lead singer, Greogory “Sugar Bear” Elliott, is a special education teacher at the school.
As the night drew to a close, students returned to their classy transportation to take them to their after-prom destinations. All of the evening’s dancing made prom-goers hungry, so IHOP and grocery stores were hotspots. Some students set up tents in backyards and camped out with friends, ending their night to remember the next morning.
