Remembering Winfield’s proms

This was taken from the 1969 WMU yearbook and describes what proms were like back in the day.

“On Saturday, April twenty-sixth, the junior class presented to the senior class the 1969 Junior-Senior Banquet and Prom. It was held in the Winfield Gym with the theme of the Parisian Affair. Light blue, gray and black were the predominate colors. The gym was turned into a street in Paris, with shops lining both sides. At one end was the Eiffel Tower and a fountain. At the other end was a bar where refreshments were served during the prom. The meal was served by the sophomore class. The girls wore black miniskirts with white ruffled blouses and white aprons. The boys were attired in black slacks, white shirts, with dark vests and moustaches. The meal was followed by dancing. The music was provided by “The Heart and Soul Ltd”. After the dance a caravan of cars left the school and proceeded to Mt. Pleasant to the Drive-in to see the show, “Wait Until Dark”. A breakfast was held at the Winfield Community Building after the show.”

Many friendships were made along with memories as junior classmates worked together to provide an “out of gym” experience as they worked to transform the gym into some sort of magical place for an evening of fun for the senior class.

Sophomores were excited about being servers and sharing a part in prom. Today the meal and dance are no longer held at the school. Sometimes the meal is held at a place far from the gym and other times it is everyone for themselves. The gym no longer is filled with music provided by a local band or D.J. The dance is also held at another site.

For the past few years, parents have been responsible for after-prom entertainment, which is held in the gym, sometimes at considerable expense. Breakfast, who knows where. Instead of a central location for everyone, for the past few years breakfast has been at various homes or other locations, maybe two or three which divide the prom goers into groups and loses some of the camaraderie a central location provided.

Class plays are another tradition that was abandoned long ago, another loss for students. Those were the days—but it is doubtful they will return.