The Skits
October 24, 2017
As great as the floats and parade are, one of the most highly anticipated and truly unique parts of our Pat-Med Homecoming is without question the class skits. This year, forgetting the aspect of being judged and graded, the creativity and imagination to come up with the decade themed skits were all accurate, and had the audience and students hooked from beginning to end. Of course, it is important to note prior to the skit’s starting, Dr. R and the audience all had a moment of silence for the passing of 11th grade student Shaun Dixon. The level of courage and spirit he showed in his fight takes a special type of individual; and while nothing will fill the void he has left in so many people’s lives, the best we can do as a community, is honor him with the work we have done.
Past this moment, the skits began, and the Freshman, just like their floats, showed spunk and spontaneity that not many were expecting. The idea behind their skit, taking queues from the prohibition era of the roaring 20’s, included a story-line of football being outlawed in New York and Pat-Med wanted to bring it back for Homecoming while evading the law. With the dancers being replicas of the flappers known for the era, plus the references to speakeasies and the jazz music that made its mark, as a whole, the production value was high and very well thought out. Plus, I can’t deny the shots at the Seniors and Sophomores did require some courage and I will give them props for that.
Next up, the Sophomores brought us back to the 50’s with the golden age of TV and a young Dr. R talking to his parents. The premise being that we were the audience in a 50’s style Pat-Med Homecoming, based on an old talk-show with a classic host and people from the 50’s as his guests. From the likes of Debbie Reynolds and others, these stars were cast as the presidents of the different classes expressing their sentiments on homecoming through words and music. Classics songs from Elvis, Bill Haley, Danny and the Juniors, and The Everly Brothers, the songs exemplified the 50’s perfectly. On a side note, the rendition of All I Have to Do Is Dream was beautiful and whatever girl sang it I applaud you. In addition, the fake commercials with I Love Lucy and others were nice little comedic relief points.
The Juniors took to the stage next as they cleverly renamed the event “Raider-Stock,” in reference to the famous Woodstock festival that began in this era. Nolan Creen playing the role of a hippie who was against the conformist parents that was common of the time, he and his friends begin their trip to Raider-Stock where they run into icons of the time: most importantly, The Beatles. The use of Dr. Hynes with his nod to JFK and the colloquial language of the time built on to a very well prepared and rehearsed skit with a class that wanted to come out and show they would not play backseat to the seniors all the time. In the end, the message that was delivered at the end was the most memorable and sentimental piece of the skit: that community and home is forever, it is something that can never be replaced.
To end the show, the Senior class looked to make their final skit one that would be remembered for years in the annals of Pat-Med history. The concept was, that the quarterback and some stereotypical characters from the 80’s were put into detention and could not go to Homecoming under Mean-Dead Sween’s watch. Jordan Yates, playing this role, was hilarious and he ended up playing one of the most influential parts in the skits success. Of course, you couldn’t have the 80’s without references to E.T- played by Mrs. McGourty’s daughter- Def Leppard, Madonna, and leg warmers plus side pony-tails. The level of work and comedy that was implemented, along with a cast of students who seemed to be born to play their roles, was uncanny and came across so natural. However, it was the ending that spoke volumes to us all, especially the other Seniors: showing pictures of our peers with what they will miss in our final year, the friends, activities, and events was spine-chilling. So much so, that the audience gave the class a standing ovation to show their appreciation and admiration for all they have done and the work they have put in throughout these four years.