Three activities helped to make the event unique
It was a new location for the senior prom. But you didn’t have to recognize the students and faculty to know it was a Cornwall event. There were three things that made the celebration unique.
The Senior Class held its annual prom on Thursday, June 9 at the West Hills Country Club in the Town of Wallkill. After a deluge in the morning, the skies cleared and the sun beamed on the 12th-graders and their dates.
A reception line was waiting for them at the entrance to the clubhouse. The greeters included the principal, two assistant principals and five faculty members who were invited by the senior class.
The first few prom-goers walked past these people without realizing why they were there. Then Mr. Hines stepped out of the line, stuck out his hand and got the procedure started.
It was a worthwhile move. The brief interaction let the staff members wish everyone a good time and tell the young people that they looked great (which they did). It was the first of three Cornwall traditions.
The second took place later in the evening. The Cornwall seniors promenaded into the dining room and bowed or curtseyed in front of the adults at the head table.
The procession was limited to Cornwall twelfth-graders. If you brought a date from a different grade or a different school, that person became a part of the audience. They didn’t enter the room at your side.
When the grand entrance was over, the faculty retired to a different room to select the prom court. No one has ever known what criteria they use in making their selection. But the results are always loudly applauded.
This year’s honorees were:
Princes: Clay Pinkham, George Cutrone, Orlando Carthens, Liam Coyle
King: Benjamin Carter
Princesses: Halle Bishop, Lauren Siegle, Marissa Pepe, Adrianne Cecchetelli
Queen: Stephanie Fanning
The Senior Class Advisors Meghann Chyla and Jacques Ponsolle (though still very youthful looking) have been organizing these events for as long as any of us can remember. They set up a table outside and checked in the prom-goers as they walked past the fountains and started up the steps to the clubhouse.
