Senior Skip Day

In 1984 it was legal in Kansas to drink beer if you were at least 18 years old. Skipping school without an excuse was another matter completely.

I had managed to keep my grades up, while maintaining a rather “relaxed” attitude about going to class. The line the school drew was if you missed school completely without an official excuse from a parent.

Mom’s attitude about going to class was nowhere near as “relaxed” as mine. In fact, her attitude was closer to Rolling Thunder than relaxed. When I skipped school, I was usually more concerned about my mother seeing me out and about than I was the school principal.

The principal could make my life difficult, whereas my mother was ready, willing, and able to make my life unbearable. You see I always remembered the old saying that they had seven children, but only needed six. I couldn’t risk being the “extra” child till I left for college.

I spent my time, like most Seniors at Valley Falls High School, coming up with any excuse for a hall pass to get out of the classroom. This resulted in all manner of passes from checking on an imaginary class project to meeting a girl in the photography dark room to check on a made-up school paper or yearbook photo.

I think the teachers, for the most part, sort of played along to reduce their own stress from trying to herd a bunch of Seniors who were thinking more about things outside than what was happening in the classroom.

Taking an entire day off was a much more serious offense which involved the principal. We had a graduated system of punishment for unexcused absences or skipping school. It went from detention after school all the way up to repeating the school semester on the 4th unexcused absence in a year.

I had conserved my unexcused absences like they were a savings account at the bank. I had gone through the first three levels of punishment and was facing the big number 4. I had made it to late April when spring was in full blossom and the weather was warm and inviting.

Another issue which I have avoided telling you is that I was Student Council President my senior year and some folks thought, especially my mother, that I should be setting a good example.

Unfortunately, my idea of a good impression was showing my willingness to skip class. I thought getting an in-school suspension for a third unexcused absence would give me credibility with my classmates. I was proving my ability to take whatever punishment the principal wanted to dish out. It wasn’t that I was a rebel without a cause, it was more a rebel without a clue.

Late April arrived and I found myself helping to organize a Senior Skip Day. We organized our Senior Skip Day as a party at the Sunset Ridge Park Area of Perry Lake. It would begin at noon during school hours and continue into the evening. I spent my time early in the week collecting money for the keg of beer, ice, and cups. We also made plans for me to get the keg and take it to the lake.

I drove a 2 door Chevy Monza and getting the keg into the car was trick in itself. After a lot of groaning and swearing we placed the keg in the backseat of my car. We were set and I was excited to finally carry off our planned party.

Being on the edge of disaster seemed to make it all the more fun to do a Senior Skip Day. I was on my 4th unexcused absence and risked having to repeat the semester.

I was one of the Seniors who had more than enough credits to graduate so the second semester I got out of class an hour early each day at 2:15 PM.

The skip day was fast approaching and I knew that I needed an excuse, so I convinced mom that I was having trouble with asthma and got a doctors appointment to cover being absent. Unfortunately, the appointment she got me was for first thing in the morning, which meant I was expected back at school before noon.

My plan was starting to fall apart and the possibility of a 4th unexcused absence was becoming more likely. The thought of having to repeat the semester and not starting college as planned was in the back of my mind. I was 18, though, and thought I was bullet proof. So I just pushed forward with the plan. I just had to take a chance that the school would get the message and mom wouldn’t tell them I was coming back to school after the doctor visit.

Friday arrived and I went to the doctor. It didn’t take very long and after my doctors visit, I bought a large keg of Michelob Beer. Back in those days I thought Michelob was a little nicer beer simply because it cost more. I’ve never professed to being an expert on beer. In all Honesty, I was 18 and not drinking it for the flavor.

It was noon when we met at the shelter house in Sunset Ridge Park. The weather was nice and sunny. As we got things set up around a dozen classmates showed up ready to take a Senior Skip Day. I’m not sure that everyone who got there initially was in our senior class. It only had around 36 kids in it, so having 12 people at the skip day would have been a third of our class.

A couple classmates brought a trash can and the crushed ice. I provided the keg, along with plastic cups.

I had pulled my car across the grass and up to the edge of the shelter house so that we wouldn’t have to carry the keg to the shelter. A full keg of beer weighed quite a bit, so the closer I could park my car the better.

We pulled the keg out and put it in the trash can. We then packed it with crushed ice and installed the tap.

Next I pulled out my stereo speakers and placed them on the roof of the car. Back then the big rock station was KY-102 out of Kansas City. I turned it up loud as we began drinking the keg and watching as others arrived. We knew that not everyone was up for skipping and would wait till school was out at 3:15 to show up for the party. That was cool with us. We just wanted to have a good time and welcomed each classmate as they arrived.

About 2:30 PM I decided that I needed to move my car off the grass and onto the official parking lot. The last thing I needed was trouble from a park ranger or deputy sheriff for parking out in the grass next to the shelter house.

As I was parking the car I looked up and saw a small pickup drive by real slow. It was at that point that I locked eyes with the high school principal, Dennis Wilson . The school counselor was driving him in his truck.

Suddenly my worst fears were coming true. I was busted for my 4th unexcused absence. Instead of beginning college in August, I would still be at Valley Falls High School.

It was bad enough that I was skipping school to drink beer, but mom and dad would have the embarrassment of having a certified knucklehead for a son. The worst part was that mom might feel people thought she was somehow involved since she called the excuse in for me to go to the doctor. Anyone who knew Edith Purvis would tell you there was no way she would ever be involved in facilitating a skip day. She’d rather sew her own mouth shut than participate in such a depraved activity. She was more likely to call the principal herself and turn me in than help with the party.

Dr. Wilson had a pad of paper and was quickly writing notes. He was undoubtedly making a list of everyone who was in attendance at the Class of 1984 Senior Skip Day. It was a grand event that apparently would have grand consequences, come Monday morning.

Principal Wilson didn’t stop. He didn’t need to because he knew everyone of us by sight. At that early stage of the party there wasn’t a big crowd so he could jot down our names as he slowly drove by. It caused quite a stir among the group. Several were concerned that they were in trouble and discussed what their parents would do.

I didn’t say much about how much trouble I was in. I knew they’d figure it out when I wasn’t present for graduation in a few weeks. I decided I was already sunk, so I might as well enjoy the party. Monday was a whole weekend away and I had a keg of beer to enjoy.

The Senior Skip Day party went forward. The music was loud, the beer was cold, I was 18, and there were girls. It was a great time!

On Monday morning I parked my car in student parking and went into the school building a little after 8 AM. As the final bell rang I was seated in my first hour class. Mr. Clulo had taught us about the French revolution in history class. I was beginning to feel like one of the condemned people he talked about who was waiting to go to the guillotine.

I believe it was the school secretary, Patty, who quietly opened the classroom door and told my teacher that John Purvis needed to immediately go to Dr. Wilsons office. As I slowly stood up several voices in the class said things like “OOOHHH PURVIS, YOU’RE TOAST” and “IT WAS NICE KNOWING YOU”.

I slowly walked down the hall, a flight of stairs, and finally to the office on the main floor. I felt like everyone in the building knew that I was going to meet my end. To top it off, Patty had me sit in a chair outside Dr. Wilson’s office and wait. I don’t know for sure, but I’m betting he was having me wait to make me sweat from guilt. I sat there trying to look unconcerned, but melting on the inside. My life was about to end and take a different course. I had gambled and lost. What was moms reaction going to be? Oh no, what if they’re having me wait for mom and dad to arrive? I looked out the door to see if I saw any sign of my parents. My nervousness was beginning to get the best of me.

The door finally opened and Dr Wilson sternly said “Please come in John….and shut the door”. I walked in and the school counselor was already sitting in front of the desk. I knew that they both saw me at the party and had probably heard through the grapevine that I was an organizer of the party. It was going to be bad because they were teaming up on me. They were obviously going to give me the news about the guillotine together. August was going to see me returning to repeat the semester. That was, of course, contingent on my parents not killing me or sending me off to work as a circus carney under an assumed name.

I tensed up as Dr. Wilson began to give me the news, “John, we know that you were at the party on Friday and not in school”…….. ” BUT, we know that you were just getting there at 2:30 when we drove by because we saw you parking your car in the parking lot”. He continued, “Since you get out of class at 2:15 PM we know that you weren’t skipping school.”

WHAT??? Say that again!………You saw me and I had to have just arrived because I was parking my car when you drove by at 2:30 PM??

HOLY CATS!! They had no idea that I had been there for several hours. It was just crazy luck that I decided to move my car just as the principal and school counselor went driving by.

As the blood returned to my brain, I realized that I had just squeaked by having to repeat the semester of school. If I hadn’t moved my car, I would have been toast.

After that they started asking questions about who was actually there and who the organizers were, but I suddenly got a case of amnesia. As far as I was concerned, they needed to trust their own eyes. What they saw is what really happened. I had to have just arrived at 2:30 because they saw me parking my car as they drove past. They knew that I got out of class at 2:15 so I couldn’t be charged with skipping.

It may have been dumb luck, but I’d take it. No 4th unexcused absence, no guillotine, no job as a circus carney. No angry parents to deal with. I was going to graduate and attend college in August.

Senior Skip Day 1984 was a great party and a very lucky day for me. I will never forget it or all my friends who came out. You all gave me what turned out to be a wonderful memory and great story.

Thank You!