November 26th, meant the beginning of break for the students at Walton-Verona High School. To the seniors, however, it was the chance to gather and recognize the kind of person each student became. Years of being poured into by mentors, bearing the crushing weight of homework, and determining which option to take after high school were celebrated one fall evening at The Barn at Belle Hills. To accompany the cold autumn air, warm meals were served consisting of pasta, salad, and everyone’s favorite: bread sticks. The food was eaten at tables surrounded by friends, many of them trying to take pictures with the disposable cameras while laughing too much to care how the photo actually turned out.
After the amicable conversations filled the room, the air of subtle delight elevated the space as the senior superlatives were read aloud by Mrs. Mayer, the coordinator of the evening: Aaron Gutman and Campbell Christy won Most Athletic, CJ Holt and Hailey Otten achieved the title of Most School Spirit, Aiden Kerns and Sophie Nuemeister were awarded Most Involved, Billy Holt and Lily Vandiver were given Class Clown, Most Likely to Succeed went to Luke Hyden and Alice Dong, Daniel Hicks and Abbigail James were designated Best Personality, Jude Stapperfenne and Olivia Hedges earned Most Talented, and Ben Walton and Emma Wolfe were crowned Mr. & Mrs. WVHS. When the last names were announced, the DJ called everyone to the dance floor by way of “Cupid Shuffle” by Cupid. Microphones were then handed out to the crowd. Some took to the spotlight by singing their hearts out, while others chose to support the bold through dancing.
Simultaneously, the photo booth was capturing seniors’ poses which they will be able to look back on years from now. When they do look back, hopefully they will see a delicious meal complemented by humorous dialogue, an abnormal night in a schedule full of demanding routines, and a dance put together by the teachers and staff who work diligently for their students’ benefit letting us, for at least one night, feel “forever young.”
