It was "A Starry Night" for the Rockville High School Junior Prom

Whether it was attending both Rockville junior and senior proms one week apart, tearing a tendon on Memorial Day or watching along with the rest of us as an EF3 tornado ripped through Western Massachusetts (but in this case, watching it rip
apart his school), those attending the Rockville Junior Prom took everything in stride and enjoyed a pleasant late-spring Saturday to make some memories.

As their senior counterparts did on May 27, the members of Rockville's Class of 2012 and their guests gathered in the picturesque gardens at The Garden Barn in Vernon, which served as a beautiful backdrop for pre-prom photos and a great gathering place for family and friends to view the array of gorgeous gowns and dashing tuxedos.

While not quite as far a distance as Payton Burke of California traveled to attend the senior prom, Muraad Muhammad arrived in Connecticut from Mississippi last week to visit his family, including his cousin, Aminah Muhammad, whom he accompanied to her junior prom.

“I'm up for the summer,” said Muhammad, a freshman at Alcorn State University in Mississippi. He's staying with his grandparents and visits his Connecticut family often.

Several seniors attended both their senior prom May 27, then accompanied juniors to their prom. One such senior was Patrick Witham, who accompanied his date, Katie Rizner, to her prom.

“It's always a good time,” said Witham.

No prom fatigue for Kayla Adamson, a Glastonbury High junior, who went as RHS junior Collin Crane's prom date.

“I had the Glastonbury prom two weeks ago (at Maneeley's in South Windsor),” she said. “I'm excited.”

It was truly a couple's event for RHS junior Mikaela Adams and RHS senior Ian McDonald. The couple attended both proms together. Any prom fatigue here?

“No,” said Adams.

“Nooo....,”said McDonald.

Both said they highly enjoyed the senior prom's “International Affair” flair, where food stations were set up buffet-style and there was no assigned seating. The two agreed the international food was a good idea.

“It was really great – we loved it,” said Adams.

Nearby, RHS junior Megan McDonald and her boyfriend, Brian O'Gara, of Vernon, a sophomore at Springfield College, flashed big smiles for the cameras. But O'Gara's mind was pulled to June 1's EF3 tornado that significantly damaged his college campus.

“It got hit real bad,” he said, “It's not in good shape.  All the windows are shattered in the dorms.”

O'Gara hasn't seen the damage in person, but hopes everything in back in order by the time classes return in the fall.

Ryan McNally's date, Stephanie Bryon, a junior at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, had extra accessories with her prom gown – a surgical boot and a pair of crutches, after a mishap on Memorial Day.

“I tore a tendon,” she said, as she covered the boot with her long black and blue gown.

“She didn't want to get wet from from the (garden) hose,” said McNally.

Seven stitches and a torn tendon later, Bryon made it to the prom and is getting used to her boot.

The prom theme was “A Starry Night” and the prom was held at Georgina's Restaurant and Banquet Facility in Bolton.