By: Ella Weathers, Shield Editor, and Shield Staff
As NRCA prepared to send the Class of 2024 into the world, seniors experienced the culminating traditions of high school. Senior year is highly anticipated by every high school student. Everyone waits for that one year of royal treatment and the excitement of feeling like they are finally ready to move on. One of the privileges that comes with attending NRCA senior year is Senior Week. Senior Week is full of fun and memorable activities just before graduating in May. This year, Senior Week happened April 22-26.
To kick off the week, the 12th graders went to the senior banquet held at the Angus Barn Pavilion. “We had the senior dinner at the Angus Barn. We had organized tables, and we were all tucked in there with dinner and a big screen with all the pictures of memories from senior year. We got to reminisce about senior year and talk over dinner. It was very relaxing,” said senior Dylan Lithgow.
After the formal banquet, Senior Week events continued with fun NRCA traditions. “The lock-in was on Tuesday, and Senior Field Day was on Wednesday. Going back-to-back from those two was interesting because we were all tired, but it was worth it. It was a good experience, and it was one I will definitely remember,” Lithgow said.
Two other big activities during Senior Week are the senior parade and Senior Field Day. For the parade, seniors decorate their cars with themes based on their homeroom's team name and mascot. This year's homeroom themes were the following: Ms. L’s Aliens, Linton’s Loonies, Severs’ Scalawags, Evans’ Avengers, Stott’s SWATs, and Perry’s Penguins. The entire school lined up around the sidewalks to watch. During the parade, seniors played music, waved and entertained the younger kids, and made it a good time all around.
After the parade, Senior Field Day events began. “Field Day is basically lots of little mini games. Some of them were football-related, and some were kickball, remembering cards, and sorting stuff. It was a good combination of physical and mental stuff to challenge the teams,” Lithgow said.
One of the most anticipated activities of Senior Week each year is the prank. The senior class gets to come to NRCA late at night and “prank” the school with balloons, pictures of teachers and staff everywhere, streamers, and so much more. The students usually pick a theme, and this year, it was Barbie.
“The prank was late at night on Thursday. I’ve been looking forward to doing that since middle school, so it was a fun and interesting experience for me. The prank is something you see throughout all of your time here, and for some students, that’s since kindergarten. So, I’ve seen it throughout all my years here. It’s something to look forward to in senior year. It’s really cool and fun after seeing it secondhand all these years and finally getting to experience it firsthand,” said Lithgow.
To conclude the week, the seniors hosted a pep rally in Knights Stadium on Friday afternoon. Seniors Stone McDonald and Connor Christensen were the main emcees of the rally. The spring sports teams competed in games and activities, and Ms. L’s Aliens were announced Senior Field Day champions.
Other traditions followed Senior Week. Seniors and their families gathered in the high school gym for Baccalaureate on May 5, where they heard an inspiring message. The school also announced the senior awards.
The last day of class for seniors was May 14, and in keeping with tradition, the senior class dressed in tropical shirts and leis.
On Wednesday, May 15, seniors returned to campus for the second annual NRCA Senior Seminar Day. The day opened with a large-group assembly in the high school gym, where teachers led devotions, sharing parting words for the class as the Lord led. Following devotions, representatives from area ministries gave an overview of local opportunities for college students. After that session, students rotated through seminars that included instruction on personal safety and personal finance, as well as a “Get to Know the Class of 2024” session with Commencement speaker Jerry Nelson.
The first afternoon session featured capstone project presentations from Morgan Brookhart (who worked with Make-A-Wish Foundation), Gio Thrasybule (who prepared and served hot meals for families in the Salvation Army shelter,) Emma Grace Risinger (who partnered with Refugee Hope Partners to help tutor students), Kaitlyn Snead (who organized craft workshops for patients at Wake Med Children’s Hospital), and Oyinda Idowu (who created a campaign to raise awareness about sudden cardiac arrest and heart health).
NRCA Alumni Director Tiffany Benson closed out Senior Seminar Day. She welcomed seniors to the NRCA Alumni Association and introduced alumni Lily Kate Watson, Ethan Perry, Ellie Shafer, and Micah Braswell, who returned to share their experiences and the wisdom they’ve learned since graduating.
“I’m really excited to hear from the alumni coming back,” said senior Charlie Beguelin, NRCA’s Student Body President. “I think it’s cool to hear from people who have been here and have graduated from here and gone off into different parts of their lives. They can relate to us and relate back to the place we are in now. And I think it’s cool to get a different perspective and a relatable perspective.”
Commencement for the Class of 2024 is Friday, May 31.
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