Ella Katz I have never known a Latin without the class of 2017. They were the SK-ers when I was an itty bitty JK-er with a big bow on the side of my head. They were the ones who showed my class the way: which side of the rockwall was easiest to climb in lower school, how to not get dress coded by Mrs. Finch–while of course breaking the dress code–in middle school, and how to run Gatherings the right way in high school. They have been there for it all and showed us the ropes, which is why, as we embark on the last days of the 2017 school year, a tribute to the class of 2017 only feels fit to thank this year’s seniors not only for helping me along the ride, but for helping the entire student body get the most out of their Latin experience. When I think about all that I have learned from the senior class, and what there is to thank them for, I have realized that while the thoughts from my grade and the underclassmen are important, what the seniors will miss the most about one another matters more. For starters, Latin wouldn’t be what it is today without the creation of the Latin Rodentz, our new and improved school mascot. Who knew that “mammals of the order Rodentia which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws” could represent our school and the spirit we carry on the field and in the pool! We can thank Clay Canfield for setting a great example of what perseverance really is by wearing shorts even when it is -3 degrees out! For those in LR, it will be weird not having Michael Sarazen manspreading all day at the table by the coat rack in the corner with his shoeless feet up on the desk. Seniors told The Forum that they appreciate Zyana Slade-Bridges for always being her most confident self and not caring what other people think of her. We can thank Johnny Gross for being Johnny Gross. Of course, it goes without saying that this school year wouldn’t have been the same without Isabel and Gavin’s excitement both in and out of their seats during every assembly as well as every gathering run by Ian–which became known as Latin’s weekly stand up comedy show. Speaking of the theatre, we can thank Sumina and Chasey for always killing the dance game through their own amazing choreography as well as Mrs. Durant’s. The seniors will be thrown off during their new classes in the fall when they realize that there isn’t an Abby Garber asking the question that is “never on anyone else’s mind” says Eleanor Ruscetti, a senior. As a student body, we should thank Reis and his planning skills for all the school dances, even though, following prom, I couldn’t get the smell of fish out of my nose for a few days. In the 2017-2018 school year, we will dearly miss Nick Rose and his virtual reality senior project, which is arguably too real, considering the fact that Henry Faversham hit a hole through the wall while playing it! We will miss Sophie Norris being the mom of all moms, and we will miss Campbell–the nicest person ever, who wrote a valentine for every person in the senior class. In addition to the numerous individuals from the class of 2017 that have contributed to the school, the class as a whole has also helped shape Latin into the thriving, warm hearted place it is today. This year’s seniors value close knit teacher relationships more than any other senior class I have seen. This has set an example for the rest of the upper school, and is much of the reason that many students now have such great relationships with their teachers. We can thank the seniors for making the library lively and fun–a space for students to destress and at least attempt to get their work done. Speaking of the library, we can thank the seniors for teaching us that eating a four course meal in the library–morning starbucks, snack, lunch, and then a second snack–is ok and in fact more socially acceptable than eating in the cafeteria. So, to the class of 2017, you all are amazing in your own way. Thank you for holding our hands and never letting go while you were here, whether it was only for one year, or for the past thirteen. Your spirit, empathy, positivity, kindness and remarkable character as a class is inspiring, and it is an honor to have shared our years at Latin together. You have most definitely left a mens size-15 shoe to fill, which is a size that I’m not sure anyone in the class of 2018 will be able to fit into, but one can only hope. So from the bottom of my heart, I wish you all the best and from the wise words of my camp director Patty Lifter, “It’s not a goodbye, just a see you later.”]]>