Veiled Prophet Ball, an Experience Fit for a Queen, or a Girl Next Door – Part II

The new Veiled Prophet Queen of Love and Beauty, , sat down with Patch for a conversation about her magical experience as the newly crowned queen. is as delightful as she is beautiful. She holds a prestigious honor, but in her everyday life, she is very much “the girl next door” like those you will find on any college campus.

Patch: How does it feel to be a part of a tradition that has been going on for 127 years?

Eleanor: I looked on Wikipedia, both my mom and me are on the list of the Queens for the Veiled Prophet. So, it was kind of fun to say that I am on the internet.

Patch: Your mom was queen some 30 years ago. How do you relate to that?

Eleanor: We have little news clippings from my mom when she was Queen. It is almost the same equivalence today. I know my mom didn’t get to choose her dress. It was assigned to her. They took her measurements and told her this is the dress you are wearing. I got to design my dress. I got to choose what it looked like. So that gives Queens today a lot more freedom to show their creativity and look the way they want.

Patch: What was it like for you and your mom to share this experience?

Eleanor: It is a really cool experience to be able to share this with my mom because she knows everything and she taught me little tricks of the trade and taught me my bow and everything. She just knew firsthand what it was like. The whole experience was fun. It was fun when we went to New York together. It was a good bonding experience.

Patch: So you went to New York to get your dress?

Eleanor: Yes. We went and met with a designer, Henry Schickerling, at Tosca Couture. He also designed all of the Special Maids dresses too. We met with him and I told him what I like and didn’t like and we talked and came up with the dress I wore.

Patch: Do you have a boyfriend?

Eleanor: No. I do not. (Giggles)

Patch: You might get one now after this. Are you interested in a boyfriend?

Eleanor: I am just enjoying everything that is happening right now. I am not really worried about it.

Patch: How would you describe yourself?

Eleanor: I am very easy going, I am always looking to have fun and enjoy life. Someone told me I am quirky, and random. In high school we did a project that had a personality test. It showed that I am very much a people pleaser and want to make sure everyone is happy. But I am also an adventure. I am always wanting to go out and experience things.

Patch: You went to high school at Villa Duchesne. How was that experience?

Eleanor: I loved Villa. It was the most fun high school experience I could think of. It is an all girl Catholic school. I loved going to an all girl school because it allowed me to explore more and I wasn’t afraid to raise my hand. We wore uniforms. That was nice not to have to pick out an outfit every morning. I got to focus more on my own individual learning and growth rather than focus on smaller things that weren’t important.

Patch: Before you became Queen what did you do in your everyday life?

Eleanor: I go to school at DePauw University in Greencastle Indiana. I play field hockey. My season was this past fall. We did really well. We were ranked 20^th in the nation at one point. It is very fun. I joined a sorority my freshman year. So, I just moved into the house this year. That’s been a big adjustment. It has been a fun semester. I had this whole fun semester, then this (VP Queen) and I am going to Dubai next week. I have been so privileged and I have so much to look forward to.

Patch: Do you pinch yourself sometimes?

Eleanor: Yes, sometimes I think I am going to wake up. (Giggles.)

Patch: What do the girls in your sorority think about this?

Eleanor: Some girls in my sorority have called to congratulate me. There are quite a few from St. Louis, some went to the ball and saw me others saw the newspaper. I don’t know if they fully know what it is, but I don’t think any city has a ball quiet like the Veiled Prophet, so it is very unique. But, they have all been saying congratulations and it has been really fun.

Patch: Why are you going to Dubai?

Eleanor: It is a group of about 20 students. And I am friends with most of them. It is a winter term trip. DePauw students have the entire month of January free to do an internship, take a class on campus, go abroad, do an independent study or you are allowed to take one winter term off just to do whatever you want. So, this year I am going to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and another Emirate.

Patch: Is this a study trip to learn about the culture?

Eleanor: Yes and how it has transformed. I have to read a book that I am in the middle of right now about the transformation from it being a fishing harbor market into the economic super power it is today.

Patch: What is your major?

Eleanor: I am undecided at the moment, but I am leaning toward economics and French.

Patch: Were you involved in the ball before this year?

Eleanor: I had always gone to the ball every year with my friends and family and I had always done the community service. I have always helped paint floats in the summer. I’ve gone to the parade and I walked in the parade the past few years with the community service float and passed out flowers, or sold pins or dressed in a funny costume.

Patch: Tell me about the Queen’s Supper.

Eleanor: During the Queen’s supper we ("Clarke" and her date) sat at this big table that was really high up and I had a really nice comfy chair. Then after the dinner I think I danced with almost every single person in St. Louis. It was so much fun because all of my friends were there. We were just having a blast. I said hi to everybody and just walked around and danced.

Patch: In your dress?

Eleanor: In my dress, yeah, and it is so dirty now. But that’s ok.

Patch: How exhausted were you after it was all over?

Eleanor: I slept for two days after. My feet were hurting. I am still a little gun shy with heels right now, because my feet are still sore. It was all very exhausting but very worth it.

Patch: How about that receiving line?

Eleanor: I think it lasted about an hour. I basically just stood there and said hello to everybody and thanked everybody. It was fun. I got to meet a lot of new people and see people I hadn’t seen in forever. It was nice.

Patch: How long did the dance go on?

Eleanor: I think I got back to my hotel room between 3:30 a.m. and 4:00 a.m.

Patch: The next day after the ball was there a big let down?

Eleanor: There was not a big let down. It was still exciting. A few of my friends came over and we ate Steak ‘n Shake in my kitchen and talked about what happened the night before. It was definitely not a let down.

Patch: How is it seeing your pictures everywhere?

Eleanor: It has never happened to me before. It is weird seeing my face in random spots.

Patch: What is next as the VP Queen?

Eleanor: I have designed my dress for next year and getting ready for that.

Patch: Already?

Yes, because I don’t think I will be in town much the next few months. I have applied for a job in Colorado to be a kid’s counselor at a dude ranch, so I am hopefully going to talk to them about that soon. We have been going to this dude ranch since I was six years old. I have always wanted to work there and I am applying to finally be a kid’s counselor in the summer. And I really want to go abroad in the next year. It will be a semester abroad for school.