After an hour in Senior Seminar learning about the FAFSA and the bleak realities of life after high school, seniors were rewarded with activities that evoked elementary school Field Day nostalgia. The confusing motley of gym supplies scattered about the cafeteria and the gym quickly came to life as teams of students, decked out in matching outfits from camo to tie-dye to durags, set to work. A hoola hoop competition became an Olympic sport as hordes of students surrounded their champions, offering screams of encouragement and cries of outrage. A scooter race transformed the floor into a go-kart track as students zipped up and down in erratic lines. A cup-stacking faceoff turned into a tragedy as a colossus of cups clattered to the ground at the last second.

With only four classes remaining, students cheered their classmates on as they faced off in a final four-way tug of war.  After practical blood, sweat, and tears, Mrs. Powers’s Period 3 class, nicknamed PowerHouse, secured not only the victory, but also discounted Senior Sendoff tickets, a fitness day pass for each student, and a pizza party.

Guidance counselor Mrs. Lipariti, who helped organize the post Senior Seminar activities for the first year ever, says, “The idea was to take Senior Seminar and make it more of a student-centered event that’s fun for seniors and builds on the overall school community.” And it worked; senior attendance on PSAT day was at a record high this year.

Mrs. Lipariti and the Counseling Department organize other activities for seniors as well, including an ice cream party on Decision Day and a fair of outdoor activities at Senior Sendoff, known in previous years to include a bounce house and a hypnotist.

“It’s not often that you get together with your entire senior class and have these moments,” she says.  “There’s a lot going on right now for seniors. Thinking about college is very stressful, so along the way we have these events that create memories and remind students that it’s also important to have fun their senior year.”