Glitz and glamour

Senior writer

[email protected]

Portales High School senior Anissia Lucero said dressing like a princess is “every little girl’s dream come true.”

The senior had dress envy since she didn’t get to celebrate a quincenera, a celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday in parts of Latin America, and has been waiting for senior year since elementary school to put on a formal ball gown.link Joshua Lucero: Staff photo

Portales senior Karimah Hulett enters Maypole as part of the queen’s court Wednesday evening at the Ram Athletic Center during the 2014 Maypole rehearsal. The rare rights of passage ceremony is in its 86th year at PHS.

Of course Lucero’s favorite part of participating in the Portales High School Maypole ceremonies is putting on her sparkly, cream-colored dress, but the formal wear, the 16-foot poles she and her classmates twirl around, they all represent something bigger — tradition.

“This is one of our last childhood steps,” Lucero said.

In its 86th year, PHS continues the rare rights of passage ceremony that has been passed down through generations.

The maypole ceremony is 8 p.m. today in the Ram Athletic Center.

Dorie Anderson once twirled those same poles in 2001. The dairywoman said she remembers her favorite part of practicing for Maypole was socializing with her classmates and forming a bond.

It meant a lot for her to help her niece, PHS cheerleader Kayleigh Montano, get ready for Maypole.

Anderson said she’s close to her niece and has often helped her with many of her school projects.

For the big day, Anderson said she helped steam and put on Montano’s dress. She also made her corsage.

“It’s neat to see her grow up,” Anderson said.

Montano said her favorite part of rehearsal Wednesday evening was walking out and doing a curtsy.

“I love my dress,” Montano said.

She said she was thankful for Anderson’s help, which made the experience richer.

“She does a lot for me,” Montano said. “She’s extremely creative.”

Montano plans to attend Eastern New Mexico University in the fall to cheer and study nursing.

Matthew Shelly, a track athlete for PHS, said Maypole has been about camaraderie.

“It’s fun, we’ve grown together and we all hang out afterwards,” Shelly said. “We crack jokes.”

Shelly wants to continue to run track in college and plans to teach one day. It was one of his coaches who inspired his career path.

“He enjoys his job,” Shelly said. “I want to be able to coach and teach like him.”

Jory Nix celebrated one of the last times he’d be with his classmates before graduation on Friday.

Although Nix is an avid golfer, he plans to move to Denver and go to welding school. A lesson he learned that he will take with him is about having respect.

“Have respect, respect gets you places.”