Seniors enjoy their final term at Choate Rosemary Hall.
Senior Spring: the finale of senior year that officially began on March 19, a time when seniors acknowledge the ends of their careers at Choate and look towards the future. Following spring break, seniors indulge in Garden Party, senior dance lessons in preparation for Last Hurrah, Senior Bingo, and a Senior Class Trip (typically a beach day), among other notable events. This year, however, marks a significant change in the senior schedule of the spring, for rather than spending a day lounging on one of the sandy beaches of New England, the Class of 2018 will embark on a day-trip to Dave and Buster’s — a more mature version of Chuck E. Cheese’s. In past years, recent locations of this Senior Class Trip have been to Hammonasset Beach, Quassy Amusement Park, and Rocky Neck Beach, where the seniors would get off campus and enjoy this nice way to end the academic year and say an unofficial farewell to their high school careers. To this wild change of events, Peyton Gaughan ’18 replied, “You know, usually there’s senior beach day, but we don’t have that this year. It’s something I’m not super happy about. Instead we’re going to Dave and Buster’s. I’m not a fan of Dave and Buster’s. I feel like that’s where you get the flu, and it encourages child gambling. But there’s that to look forward to.” Finally, perhaps the most well-known Senior Spring event is Last Hurrah, as well as the four nights of ballroom dancing that lead up to the actual event in May. Beginning with a dinner and ending with a night-long partying extravaganza, the night includes dancing and dancing competitions.
With college applications having all been turned in, and the waiting period — arguably the worst part of the college process — coming to an end, seniors focus on making the most of their remaining time at Choate.
During this time of year, many seniors choose to try out new activities, and others choose to continue following their same paths. “I’ve never done anything related to performing arts. This term, I decided to join the musical,” Richard Lopez ’18 stated. “I would definitely recommend this activity to other students. Even if you have never done anything related to performing arts, you will still be mentored by other students and learn a lot of new things. I am just having a lot of fun so far.”
Like Lopez, Gabby Henry ’18 has also chosen to participate in the arts. “I’m doing photography this term. It’s pretty fun and I now know how to take photos manually.” Henry commented. Mpilo Norris ’18 shared, “To fulfill my arts requirement this year, I am taking Ceramics this year. It can get challenging when you think you have it and then all of a sudden your pot falls into pieces. I am also going out to see movies, and now, just having the time to go to places like Yale to listen to different lectures.” Haley Chang ’18 has decided to spend her free time reading. “About a week ago, I borrowed books from the library for the first time in my life: Brave New World and The Essential Feminist Reader. I have some free time around so I have been reading for fun nowadays.”
Generally speaking, seniors at Choate see Senior Spring as a time to relax and spend time with friends and teachers. Egun Im ’18 explained, “Senior Spring means taking all of the rest of the classes that I didn’t have a chance to take during the last three years, just enjoying time here with my friends and taking that extra effort to bond and connect with my friends.” Mint Sethbhakdi ’18 had similar views; she said, “Well, I feel like it means a lot of different things depending on the person. For me, during senior spring, I have so little time left with the people that I love and care about: my teachers, my prefectees, my friends. I just wanna make the most out of it. I’m already feeling that nostalgia, so I’m gonna try my best to see everyone and hang out with the people I love and do the things that I love before I actually leave, because I don’t want to regret it later on.”
On the other hand, some seniors view Senior Spring as a time to completely slack off. As Ryan Burlage ’18 stated, “Senior Spring is not giving a damn, not reading books, and spending time with friends.” A lot of students can understand how once admitted into college, grades and academics don’t seem to matter very much; thus, seniors choose to spend time working on projects that mean something to them. Gaughan expressed, “You’re motivated by things that you actually care about during senior spring: that’s the work you do. Everything else is just bare minimum. You’re chilling. It’s also when you get sentimental with people leaving.”
So, as the year winds down and the Class of 2018 begins to say their farewells to the School Upon the Hillside, many seniors choose to take this time to feel nostalgic about their favorite Choate memories and the path that high school took them on. A recurring theme that the sixth form looks forward to this spring is spending time (or rather focusing on being sentimental) with their friends. All-in-all, Senior Spring, with its connotation a supposed “myth,” is a time for good-hearted fun, focusing on what matters, and more importantly, making it to graduation.
