A spotlight hit center stage where, suspended midair by two thin aerial silks, senior Kira Mahoney contorted into a full split. Then, BOOM!—to the beat drop of Skyfall by Adele, Kira fell from the auditorium ceiling, the silk artistically stopping her in an upside-down tilt just above the stage floor.
Like the crescendo of a symphony, the room erupted in awe for the final time last Wednesday, culminating a series of performances and activities for a riveting Class Day celebrating the seniors.
The day began with poster making for the senior's fourth-grade buddies, commending them on moving to the Middle School. Seniors made additional posters congratulating their advisors and friends while snacking on powdered donut holes.
Already on a sugar high, students amped up their energy even more, screaming and cheering for a student-faculty basketball game. Sophomore Alex Stamos debuted in his new communication role, announcing the players and invoking thunderous applause. Adrenaline defined the game as the score frequently stood tied until Coach Aubery Denard's slam dunk took the win.
Soon after, the smell of sizzling burgers filled the school as a BBQ lunch fueled students for a grueling match of bubble soccer. Senior Ryder Shiffman suited up and played his heart out, boomeranging off the gymnasium floor. "The best part was when Bear collided with Josh and then scored a goal," he said.
Bubble soccer wasn't the only rollercoaster on Class Day; students also faced an emotional one. Tears from both laughter and reminiscences flowed during the Class Day assembly, which was filled with speeches, awards across all departments, and of course, the longstanding tradition of senior superlatives.
Senior Sammy Rubinov rehashed hilarious and touching memories from the class of 2025, for the most part unfiltered.
"Whoever came up with the idea for donut burgers probably should've kept that one in the vault,” he said. “Speaking of food, who remembers when Charlie found a Band-Aid in his muffin?"
"But on a serious note,” Sammy continued, “it's seriously been a ton of fun being at this school for the past four years. Latin is made up by the people, not the place, and all of you truly make this place special."
After a quick 10-minute break, students flocked back into the auditorium for an ending to the day that was, by definition, magical. Senior talents took over: Senior Ajay Singh performed one last magic trick at Latin, seniors Marlo Leik, Wyatt Parr, and Juliette Katz sang together, and senior Nico Thom took the dance floor. Finally, as if the crowd wasn't already stunned enough, Kira fell from the sky.
Students put themselves out there and created life-long memories for the Latin community, a theme student-elected faculty speaker Jonty Faulkner recognized.
"In his sophomore year, Ben Wilhelm sang one of the best duets I've heard in the West End of 'Love Is An Open Door,'” Mr. Faulkner said. “Class of '25, your love for this school has been a powerful force for moving things for the good."
