Pennsbury's Preps 'Bucket List'

Prom season is in the air at Pennsbury High School and parents, students and faculty are working together to make this year's prom better than ever.

Unlike most schools that use a catering hall, Pennsbury hosts prom in their East campus building, The gym and its lobby, along with the main and auditorium lobbies, hallways and several lavatories are elaborately decorated for the occasion.

The pre-prom parade is a regular red-carpet affair, with students arriving like celebrities on decorated floats and in unusual vehicles, with the community cheering them on.

This year's prom theme, The Bucket List, refers to all the goals and dreams you hope to fulfill before you "kick the bucket."

As juniors, this year's seniors voted on the theme last June, selecting The Bucket List from among six potential themes.

"The Bucket List won by only nine votes," said Tony Napoli, faculty co-advisor for this year's prom.

Napoli and Curtis May are the faculty advisors for this year's prom and they work with teachers Kathy Niwinski and Keith Russell. May and Napoli have the perfect blend of artistic talents and experience to head up this year's Bucket List endeavors. May teaches 3D art, while Napoli wears several hats as art department chair, stage manager for musicals and theatrical performances, and instructor for 2D art courses.

"Although I've never been in charge of the prom before, I've been fortunate to have spent the last 18 years working with students, parents and faculty members creating murals and sets for each prom," Napoli said. "It is a fascinating experience that I'm privileged to be a part of."

The senior students at this year's prom were crawling or taking their first steps just about the time Napoli started teaching at Pennsbury High School. In less than two months, they'll be dancing at prom and then graduating a few weeks later.

"Our goal this year is to do more 3D work and get more students involved, especially the art students and members of the art club," Napoli said.

With the Bucket List theme, the murals and 3D pieces are quite involved artistically, more so than the past few years.

"Last year's theme was Games and Entertainment which wasn't too difficult considering that everything we created was based on board games and other types of games that already exist. We just had to scale them up for prom," Napoli said. "With this year's theme there are no color schemes. We have to figure out a way to make it exciting. It's a big challenge."

Anyone at the high school, both students and parents, and anyone in the community is welcomed to come help the cause and join in the fun. In fact, the prom would not be what it is, without everyone working together. Volunteer workers are still in need. All that's required is a willingness to help out and the ability to hold a pencil and paint brush.

Both students and parents will continue to work on the murals and designs Monday through Thursday from now until prom, Saturday, May 14, in the Pennsbury High School East cafeteria and hallways starting at 6:30 p.m. until about 9 p.m.

"There used to be a lot of 3D structures for prom, but not as many in the past few years," Napoli said. "In 1995, with the theme City Life at Night, we built a 100-foot long suspension bridge that lit up that students could walk through."

This year, students will see 3D animals for a jungle safari effect with a 12-foot giraffe, a large elephant and six five-foot flamingos and giant fish for the Great Barrier Reef. The 3D animals are built largely of chicken wire or a wooden frame and covered with plaster or newspaper and then, painted.

Running with the Bulls was on someone's Bucket List.

"No problem," Napoli said. "We'll make a giant bull, complete with sound. It'll feel like a real bull stampede."

On prom night, Napoli said he will fulfill at least one item on his bucket list: playing "Bohemian Rhapsody" with his band at prom.

"The Pennsbury senior chorus will join my band, The Faculty, and our lead female singer will belt out the melody," Napoli said.

His band has played the prom for the past six years.

Then of course, there's the namesake "bucket." Napoli described the bucket a bit, but perhaps, some things are better left as a surprise. There are more bucket list themes, but you can read about those in future articles as we continue to cover "Countdown To Prom."