This year has been a whirlwind for our seniors, and the excitement shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. The approaching graduation date is both anticipated and feared by much of the class of 2019. This past month, Pine Crest has organized the traditional activities for our seniors before making their final departure from the Fort Lauderdale campus until they visit as alumni.

Grad Bash, an annual celebration held by Universal Orlando Resort, took place on April 6th. Every year, the parks are closed to the general public and opened exclusively for seniors from 7:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. It allows students to bond with their classmates and make some of their final memories as high schoolers.

Mr. Lowe, who has been a chaperone at Grad Bash for four years, said, “Grad Bash is a lot of fun because this is the last trip seniors go on in high school. Everyone hangs out with their friends and goes into the park. It is a nice last hoorah to get excited and reminisce before exams.”

Seniors also recently had their senior skip day, an extension of the weekend for the graduating class. The chosen day was planned by the students, allowing the school approve the date so seniors could skip the day without being penalized. Many took the free day as an opportunity to hang out with their friends, spend time with family, or get ahead on schoolwork.

One of the most anticipated events for the end of the year is the prom, an iconic tradition for upperclassman. Juniors and seniors will break out their best clothes and dance the night away with their friends and classmates in the beautifully-decorated Stacy Gym.

Prom night is bittersweet for seniors. While they have the chance to make great memories with their friends that they will remember for years to come, prom is also their final high school dance and one of the last major events they will attend as high schoolers. Despite the touch of sadness, however, prom is widely looked forward to by the upperclassmen and will be thoroughly enjoyed this year, boasting the theme “In the Clouds”.

High school graduation has been the source of excitement and fear for our seniors since the beginning of the school year, as it opens the door to a future of attending their dream college and pursuing fascinating careers.

“The thought of graduating seems crazy. You spend fourteen years of your life in school learning. And for people like me who have been at Pine Crest for a while (in my case since the 1st grade), it’s crazy to think that I’ll no longer see people who I’ve been going to school with for the past twelve years,” said Lily Volper ‘19. “Graduation is one of those things that feels like some crazy distant occasion that I never truly thought I’d experience, but soon enough I’ll be graduating with my classmates and I know it’ll be both incredible and sad all at once.”

Ambivalence towards departing from Pine Crest pervades in both the seniors and their families. While it may be difficult to say goodbye, it is exciting for the Class of 2019 to begin an exciting new chapter in their lives. Our seniors deserve nothing less, and we wish them all the luck in the world as they head off to college.