Current senior and Cadet Captain Devonte Williams (left) shakes hands with JROTC Senior Army Instructor Lieutenant Colonel David McMickle (right) on Feb. 11, 2022 at Trumps Ballroom during the 2022 Military Ball. Williams, a third-year veteran of the CCHS JROTC program, described the ball as an opportunity for fun and relaxation amongst the cadets. “With JROTC, we’re like one big family because everyone knows each other,” Williams said. “So when we’re dancing, we don’t really have to be shy or whatever because we’ve been around them the whole year.” Photo by Anna Shaikun
As the annual JROTC ball approaches on Feb. 24, preparations are being made and excitement is rising among JROTC cadets and students.
Anticipated for its reputation of sophistication and glamor, the annual Clarke Central High School’s JROTC Military Ball will take place on Feb. 24 at Trumps Ballroom.
The ball’s program includes a narration given by a cadet, an invocation, a ceremonial toast, a guest speaker, and concludes with a dance party, all the while following traditional Military Ball formalities and customs. JROTC Senior Army Instructor Lieutenant Colonel David McMickle has overseen preparations for the Military Ball for 15 years and has seen the impact the ball has had on students and cadets alike.
“We want to teach (the cadets and students) that they can enjoy themselves in the appropriate way and appropriate environment and I see their confidence grow after they attend the Military Ball,” McMickle said.
Clarke Central High School community members and students attend the 2022 JROTC Military Ball. The Military Ball has become an enjoyable tradition for the JROTC. “(People are) out there having a good time. And the only thing that I ask them to do is to straighten that tie or put that top back on and put the jacket back on and button it up before they leave, so they represent the program in the right way. It’s the best night of the year for me. (It’s) fun,” JROTC Senior Army Instructor Lieutenant Colonel David McMickle said. Photos by Anna Shaikun
Senior and Battalion Commander Lieutenant Colonel Karla Pastor has attended the ball for the past three years and this year’s ball will be her second assisting with preparations and hosting.
“Last year I did the invocation, so now I’m passing that on to the person who’s in my job now, (Senior and Battalion S1 Cadet Captain) Antonio Starks,” Pastor said. “Now I have to do the narration, which (CCHS Class of 2022 alumna) Zaili Gantt did.”
The ball is traditionally a black tie event, a dress code that excites senior and Cadet Captain Devonte Williams.
“We want to teach (the cadets and students) that they can enjoy themselves in the appropriate way and appropriate environment and I see their confidence grow after they attend the Military Ball.”
— Lieutenant Colonel David McMickle,
JROTC Senior Army Instructor
“I like when everyone’s all dressed up and in uniform and all the women are in dresses and they look so pretty in their hair and makeup done,” Williams said. “It’s like Homecoming but with JROTC only.”
The buzz around the ball is contagious as McMickle notes an increase in interest from the CCHS student body and the welcoming nature of the event.
“It grows every year. The more students and the more JROTC cadets attend, they encourage each other to attend,” McMickle said. “(And) there’s a $5 discount for going as a couple and I see that my students, my cadets, don’t care if it’s a male and female or two females or two males going. As long as they show up and they act correctly and they enjoy themselves, that’s what we want to do.”
