Senior Year Closing Activities

The Class of 2021 has missed out on many of the traditional senior events, and with the Covid-19 restrictions limiting celebrations, the Class Board and administration put together a variety of activities to ensure the seniors get the most out of their year. 

Because of the pandemic, events such as Homecoming and Prom were cancelled. To help seniors get the send-off they deserve, students and staff put together a COVID friendly day of senior events to celebrate student’s milestones and achievements.

On May 15, two major activities took place. The senior carnival ran from 10:30am-2:30pm, after graduation rehearsal, and awards night ran from 8-10pm.

The carnival consisted of games such as laser tag and cornhole, along with a multitude of raffles. Lizz Stroud, a senior from Centennial High School said that “the carnival was very nostalgic and reminded [her] of elementary school.” Stroud explained that the carnival was her favorite senior activity because she got to catch up with some of her friends who she hadn’t seen in over a year.

To keep students and staff safe, everyone was still required to wear a mask and social distance but according to Stroud, the restrictions “didn’t get in the way of enjoying the day.”

Later on in the evening, after the carnival, the award ceremony took place which allowed some seniors to be recognized for the hard work and effort they put in throughout their high school years. Stroud said “it [was also] fun to see everyone dressed up after seeing everyone go to class wearing pjs.” 

Centennial SGA president Anika Huang agreed with Stroud. “I enjoyed these events to an extent. Obviously they are not exactly as we expected them to be, but they did the best they could with what they were given, and I can appreciate the events that took place despite everything that has happened.”

Stroud explained that though she enjoyed these events, “it was definitely more emotional seeing everyone because of quarantine” and seeing everyone was a “nice reminder that that we’re seniors.” 

“[I] appreciate the effort made and the fun that I had,” said Stroud. “[These events] looked towards the future rather than console for the past.”

As the seniors prepare to leave Centennial with their final week of school coming up, these events helped students gain closure before graduation. And, though these events don’t make up for all the lost time, both Huang and Stroud agree that they enjoyed being able to see everyone all together again. 

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