On Thursday morning June 5th the senior class celebrated their approaching graduation with a BBQ.
The fields surrounding the baseball diamond were filled with inflatables that seemed to appear overnight. In addition to those rides the Class of 2025 also offered Slip n’ Slides, spike ball, corn hole, volleyball, and other outdoor activities.
“I feel like this was a time where everyone is coming together as a class. There are people who are filming TikTok’s with everyone in it, tons of pictures being taken, and everyone is having a great time celebrating the end of high school,” said Olivia Swisher who is headed to The University of Rhode Island this fall.
Today’s BBQ was a stark departure from previous BBQs. Mikayla Fortini, a junior who hopes to attend Penn State next fall, recollected that last year, “The BBQ had no fun, interactive games.” In the past the senior BBQ was a much smaller affair with games that would traditionally found at a backyard BBQ, such as Bacci ball.
Jake Good, a senior bound for Virginia Tech, beamed, “I love that we got to have this. This was a great time!”
In addition to the activities, hot dogs, burgers, and veggi-burgers were cooked by Mr. Hersch, Mr. Meo, and Mr. Flannagan. They were assisted by Mr. Pepe and Mrs. Kirkby who wrapped the finished food. In addition to food, Mrs. Lauterback ran the cotton candy machine, generously handing out poofs of pink confectionery enjoyment.
“I hope Miss Schiff [who is next year’s class advisor] does the same exact thing,” wished Juliet Gioffre, a junior who hopes to attend Fairfield in 2026.
Meanwhile, on the path to the track, Esther Yi and Lauren Lee spearheaded a Sign Off stand where seniors were given the opportunity to write their signature marking their departure from River Dell. “I think its just a really nice way for people to bond together and take a lot of photos,” said Layfette-bound, Lauren Taehee.
Jake Hughes, a senior headed to Quinnipiac in the fall cheered, “This is a lot of fun with the whole class with me! I can’t wait for the volleyball game tomorrow!”
