From the 1993 Shield Yearbook:
With buoyant expectations, 147 couples danced on the waves of the Potomac during a three-hour Prom cruise on May 27. The Potomac Spirit, the boat leased by the senior class for the event left its dock from D.C.'s Maine Ave. at 8 p.m. and sailed down to the shores off Mount Vernon, returning at 11 p.m. After a buffet meal, the two levels were cleared for the disc jockey and dancers, who swayed to the prom's theme song Forever Young. Prom goers could also relax under the starry sky on the upper deck.
Ms. Nancy Marrinucci, the class' moderator, inquired about the possibility of holding the prom on the boat in June 1992. "The class officers and I wanted to stop the tradition of the prom just being an hour event. In recent years couples would show up around 10:30 and be gone by midnight. This way, by being on the boat, they enjoy unique prom with one another." Most seniors shared Ms. Marinucci's excitement. "I'm so glad our prom was on this boat. It was great," said Julie Warner. "I hope that every senior class does this from now on," said junior Carsten Kranzer. Mr. John Gutter and his wife, two of the ten chaperones celebrated their wedding anniversary that evening also It was truly a night that most will never forget.
Did you know you know that the O'Connell prom continues to be held on a boat each spring?
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