A conga line of young girls with up ’dos and fancy dresses snaked through the Smith-Cotton High School cafeteria Saturday night beneath butterflies and white lights.
Their dates — fathers, grandfathers or father figures — stood around in suits talking with each other, joined in the dancing, waited in line for photographs or followed their little ones through the crowd.
kAm%9:D H2D E96 D46?6 2E E96 ``E9 2??F2= rFA:5’D q2==[ 2 72E96C\52F89E6C 52?46 DA@?D@C65 3J E96 (@>6?’D $6CG:46 {628F6] xE’D E96 9@EE6DE E:4<6E :? E@H? 7@C 8:C=D J@F?86C E92? `a]k^Am
kAm%96 @C82?:K2E:@? D@=5 bc_ E:4<6ED :? 2 76H 9@FCD :? y2?F2CJ] p52> w6?5C:4<D D2:5 96’D EC:65 7@C E9C66 J62CD E@ 86E E:4<6ED] w6 8@E E96> E9:D J62C ;FDE :? E:>6 7@C 9:D 52F89E6C[ |25:D@?[ `a[ E@ 2EE6?5 96C 7:CDE[ 2?5 =2DE[ rFA:5’D q2==]k^Am
kAm|25:D@? D2:5 D96 =:<65 5C6DD:?8 FA[ 86EE:?8 96C 92:C 5@?6 2?5 8@:?8 @FE E@ 5:??6C]k^Am
kAm“xE’D ;FDE E:>6 7@C >6 2?5 >J 525[” D96 D2:5] “xE’D 7F?]”k^Am
kAmw2=6J v=62D@?[ `a[ H2D 2=D@ 6?;@J:?8 96C =2DE 32==] $96 2?5 72E96C[ q:==[ 92G6 2EE6?565 7@C 7:G6 J62CD]k^Am
kAm“$96’D 8C@H:?8 FA E@@ 72DE[ x <?@H E92E[” |C] v=62D@? D2:5] “(6’G6 925 2 =@E @7 8@@5 J62CD H:E9 :E]”k^Am
kAmyF=:6 r9:=56CD[ AC6D:56?E @7 E96 (@>6?’D $6CG:46 {628F6[ D2:5 “E96C6’D ?@E9:?8 =:<6 E9:D :? $652=:2[” H96? E2=<:?8 23@FE E96 6G6?E’D A@AF=2C:EJ]k^Am
kAmx? J62CD A2DE[ E96 32== DE2CE65 H:E9 2 5:??6C] %9:D J62C[ @C82?:K6CD 4FE E96 >62= 2?5 25565 52?46 :?DECF4E:@? 2?5 8:7ED 7@C E96 49:=5C6?] u2E96CD D2:5 E96J =:<65 E96 492?86 3642FD6 :E 82G6 E96 8:C=D >@C6 C@@> E@ 52?46]k^Am
kAm%96 r@F?ECJ r=F3[ =:<6 D6G6C2= @E96C 3FD:?6DD6D[ 42E6C65 E@ E96 72E96C\52F89E6C 4C@H5 3J D6CG:?8 2? 62C=J 5:??6C 2E d A]>] %96 xGJ r@EE286 E@@< e_ C6D6CG2E:@?D 7@C 4@FA=6D 2EE6?5:?8 E96 52?46]k^Am
kAms2F89E6CD A@D65 7@C A9@E@8C2A9D H:E9 E96:C 72E96CD :? 7C@?E @7 E96 7:C6A=246 2E E96 r@F?ECJ r=F3] u2E96CD 96=A65 6249 @E96C H:E9 3@FE@??:6C6D H9:=6 92?5:?8 @FE HC:DE 4@CD286D E@ E96:C =:EE=6 8:C=D]k^Am
kAm$:I 8:C=D D:AA65 @? A:?< $9:C=6J %6>A=6D 2D E96J 2H2:E65 E96:C 5:??6C 2E E96 4=F3] %96J 2== 2EE6?5 $24C65 w62CE $49@@= 2?5 >@DE =:G6 :? E96 D2>6 ?6:893@C9@@5] xE H2D E96 7:CDE rFA:5’D q2== 7@C @?6 4@FA=6 2E E96 E23=6 — y]#] '@=4<@ 2?5 9:D 52F89E6C +@6[ f]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 2 8@@5 E:>6[ x E9:?<[” '@=4<@ D2:5] “$96 8@E C62= 6I4:E65 H96? D96 8@E 96C 92:C 5@?6] ]]] W(6’G6 962C5X DE@C:6D 23@FE A2DE E:>6D 2?5 9@H >F49 7F? E96J’G6 925 367@C6] (6 E9@F89E H6’5 8:G6 :E 2 D9@E]”k^Am
kAmpE E96 D2=@?[ +@6 925 96C >2<6 FA 5@?6 2?5 7:?86C?2:=D A2:?E65 C65 E@ >2E49 96C A@=<2 5@EE65 5C6DD] +@6 H2D?’E DFC6 9@H D96 H2?E65 96C 92:C D@[ “H6 925 E@ =@@< 2E A:4EFC6D :? 2 3@@<[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm+@6[ H:E9 E96 96=A @7 96C >@E96C[ A:4<65 @FE 96C 5C6DD @? 2 DA64:2= EC:A E@ E96 >2==] “x =:<6 >J 5C6DD 3642FD6 :E DA2C<=6D[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 >@E96CD H6C6 D42C46[ #@3J? (25=6J D?2AA65 A:4EFC6D @7 96C 52F89E6C[ {2FC2[ 2?5 9FD32?5[ y677[ 367@C6 5:??6C] p== E9C66 @7 E96 (25=6JD’ 52F89E6CD 92G6 2EE6?565 E96 32== @G6C E96 A2DE `_ J62CD]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< :E’D H@?56C7F=[” |CD] (25=6J D2:5] “%96 8:C=D 2C6 D@ 6I4:E65 23@FE 86EE:?8 C625J[ >66E:?8 FA H:E9 E96:C 7C:6?5D 2?5 A:4<:?8 @FE E96 5C6DD[ @7 4@FCD6[ :D 2 3:8 562=] ]]] W%96 52?46X :D 2D :>A@CE2?E E@ E96 525D 2D :E :D E96 52F89E6CD[ x E9:?<]”k^Am
kAm%96 J@F?8 8:C=D 2?5 E96:C 52E6D =:?65 FA 7@C AC@76DD:@?2= A9@E@8C2A9D 2E E96 52?46] v:C=D G:D:E65 EH@ DE2E:@?D[ @?6 E@ 92G6 E96:C 2C> @C 7246 A2:?E65 2?5 2?@E96C E@ >2<6 2 3FEE6C7=J 4C27E 7C@> >282K:?6D 2?5 ?6HDA2A6CD]k^Am
kAms2G6 (:=E H2E4965 2D 9:D 52F89E6C[ q=2:D6[ d[ C646:G65 2 A2:?E65 3FEE6C7=J @? 96C 2C>]k^Am
kAm“}@E9:?8 @? E96 7246 F?E:= 27E6C A:4EFC6D[” (:=E D2:5]k^Am
kAm%9:D H2D E96 D64@?5 J62C E96 A2:C 2EE6?565 E96 52?46]k^Am
kAm“(6 H6?E =2DE J62C 2?5 925 2 8@@5 E:>6[” 96 D2:5] “$96 CF:?65 >J D9@6D 3J DE@>A:?8 @? >J 766E D@ >F49]”k^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ>2:=E@iD?2:=oD652=:256>@4C2E]4@>QmD?2:=oD652=:256>@4C2E]4@>k^2mk^Am
