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1898 THE ORGAN OF STUDENT EXPRESSION 1978
Volume 80, No.5 Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia November 16,1978
At the End of the Rainbow is Success
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By Mark Robertson
This occasion was to be the
highlight of the school year.
Both students and alumni had
anxiously awaited this event
since September, for a
Morehouse Coronation held
great esteem. The many hours
of preparation, planning, and
dedication on the part of the
Coronation staff, directed by
Spike Lee, the Morehouse
Student Government As
sociation, the various clubs,
fraternities, queens and their
courts had paid off. For indeed,
“At the End of a Rainbow — A
Dance Fantasy” was a
success.
“At the End of a Rainbow”
was not an ordinary,
traditional pageant. On the
contrary, it was quite
imaginative and innovative.
One never knew exactly what
was going to happen next, but
was nevertheless always an
ticipating each act. According
to one of the queens, “the
courts practiced individually
in separate rooms and had no
knowledge of the other courts’
attire, music, or dance steps. In
my estimation this
unknowingness avoided
conventionality and
uniformity while variety and
diversity was definitely the
outcome. The gowns and the
dance steps of the various
courts were as innovative as
the music which was
performed by such artists as
Art Farmer, Grover
Washington, and Pharoah
Sanders. Also lending to the
imagination of the program
were the two beautiful dancers,
Melody Ruffin and Jasmine
Guy whose light, airy
movements were indeed a fan
tasy in themselves.
Before the crowning of a new
queen, it is customary for the
reigning queen to pass on her
crown. Unfortunately Iris Lit
tle, Ms. Maroon and White of
1977 could not make a personal
appearance; however, she did
write a beautiful letter in
which she sent her apologies
for not being able to attend this
year’s coronation. Ms. Little is
currently performing in a play
at the Studio Theatre in the
Memorial Arts Center. She
also expressed her well wishes
to Jerri Devard and Court and
commented on what it meant
to her personally and profes
sionally in her career to reign
as Ms. Maroon and White. Ms.
Little’s letter was read to the
audience by Rodney Thaxton
who also did a fine job as the
storyteller throughout the
program.
As the excitement grew
toward the end of the program,
2501 people were anxiously
awaiting their queen. All of a
sudden, out of a cloud of smoke
and with a clap of thunder
came the Ms. Maroon and
White Court. Then almost as
suddenly as they had
appeared, they disappeared.
Just a glimpse of the queen
was all there was and the
audience, half-astounded
could be heard whispering
“what happened?” and
“Where did she go?” Then
through a transformation, as
by magic or sorcery, the scene
was changed. Now the stage
had become Broadway, the
hustling, bustling street where
all of the happenings are and
all types of people can be
found. This was truly a scene
to behold: a boxer, blind
panhandler, hooker, and Don
Juan among others had the
audience in instantaneous
laughter. Then as if tan
talizing the audience enough,
our Queen reappeared. The
lovely Ms. Devard stood before
an ecstatic audience who at
last were about to see Ms.
Maroon and White of 1978
crowned.
If anyone in the audience
could possibly imagine castles
in the air or fairyland, then
maybe, just perhaps, one could
possibly have expected a rider
on a ten speed racer decorated
with ribbon and flowers to
present Ms. Devard with her
crown and a bouquet of roses.
The audience at this point
knew that they had seen an
extravaganza, a fantasy that
will be savored until next year
when Jerri Devard passes her
crown on to Ms. Maroon and
White of 1979.