As seniors are breathing sighs of relief that their high school stresses are at the end, the 2024-2025 school year had plenty of different experiences, and tons of memories were made between the students. Prom came and went with all of the usual excitement, and all of the major testing ended last week with the SAT on prom day and all of the AP tests that followed. With all the stress behind the students this school year, and the warm summer on the horizon a brief recap of what happened in the last weeks is needed.
Seniors experienced many different things in their final weeks as high school students. They got to have their last dance with a prom close to home at CORE Events Center. Some spent their time cramming last minute for AP tests in the hope of tacking on some extra college credits. Other students spent some of their waning days competing for the last time as a high school athlete and planning out the last student council events of the school year.
“It’s definitely a little bittersweet…” said senior track and soccer athlete Ryan Schiller. “I am happy to continue the next chapter, but sad to leave behind such a great program and community.”
Being highly involved in activities at Norwin while also preparing for a future beyond high school can be incredibly stressful, but students such as Student Council president Ameer Eletrache manage to overcome the stress.
“I would say at times it is very difficult, but I do manage it very well,” said Eletrache. “Because I learned over the years not to procrastinate anytime given a task or given a duty to accomplish, it’s really easy for me to manage it in a sense, but at times it does kind of become a little overwhelming.”
The seniors have their last day of school at Norwin High on Friday May 16, while the underclassmen stay behind until next Friday. Not just seniors are departing from Norwin this year, as well as a long-time science teacher who has a profound love of scuba diving. Mr. Timothy Lloyd has been a teacher at Norwin for 31 years. During his tenure at Norwin, Lloyd was the freshman class advisor, advisor of the scuba club, and Honors Biology teacher. Mr.Lloyd taught many students about the powerhouse of the cell, and about diving deep underwater. Timothy Lloyd has given many hours of his life to teaching and furthering the education of Norwin students, so for that the district must say thank you.
“Spanning 31 years, there’s been a lifetime of experiences, but I think what stands out the most is just the quality of students I’ve worked with,” said Lloyd. “Really good kids, and especially when they come back for Alumni Day, and I get to see what they’ve accomplished. I’ve had students go on to become physicians, get PhDs, and be all sorts of things. “It’s very fulfilling to think that, in some way, I might have had a small role in that. It’s been incredibly rewarding.”
Many students started their academics at one of Norwin’s four elementary schools. Ironically, after twelve years of education, the elementary schools are the destinations the seniors return to as part of the Senior Parade at their respective elementary schools. Many students want to return to the place they began for the nostalgia, or just wanting to see the teachers who started them off on their academic journey. For the class of 2025, the elementary school parade was on Friday May 2, following the mock accident.
“Walking through my old elementary school was a cool full-circle moment, said senior Max Snyder. “It reminded me where everything started, and how much has changed since then.”
On Friday May 2, the mock accident gives the senior students a view into a car accident where one of their pupils would get into an accident. The purpose of the accident is to show students the potential consequences of driving under the influence. The lesson truly hits home because it is one of the students’ own peers who plays the person who dies.
After the crucial lesson of the Mock Accident, students got to cut loose one more time at prom before Keystones and AP tests and the rest of the graduation celebrations. A large highlight of prom this year is the connection to home. Prom is a CORE Events Center, which is a place that many Norwin students are very familiar with because of the many different Norwin events that it has housed, like sports banquets. For seniors to have their last prom in their own backyard gives a feeling of comfort and joy, being able to be with your friends at one last dance before taking your respective paths.
“The reason for the change in venue was to support a local business,” said Mrs. Anselmino, the senior class advisor of Norwin High School. “There are no turnpike fees, and travel distance and time are reduced, giving students more time for pictures”
Senior year is a year of lasts. Seniors may be taking their last math class, have their last time in class with their favorite teacher, their last time with this group of people, or even their last cafeteria chicken patty. Due to all these ‘lasts,’ seniors have tried to make the most of their last year of high school. To do that, students took part in many different things. For example, seniors had Senior Sunrises where they met on the Hillcrest hill before the sun came up to take in the views together. For the student athletes, they have their “senior knights”, where they are honored by the team and the fans in the stands for all they put into their sport. No matter what any senior did in high school, they tried to make the most of it, because they know they don’t live this life twice.
On Tuesday May 20th, many seniors participate in Vespers, a more intimate graduation ceremony, where students have a closing with speeches, choral songs, and prayers in a smaller setting. Along with Vespers, comes speaking opportunities. Seniors can audition to speak to their fellow classmates about various topics assigned and unassigned.
“I’m really honored to speak at the Vespers ceremony,” said senior and assigned Vespers speaker Gracie Paulovich. “Vespers is something that means a lot to me, and I’m really excited to be able to contribute to it.”
Despite getting out of school on May 16, the seniors do have to come back one last time. That time is graduation. This year, graduation fell on May 23, also the last day of school for all the underclassmen at Norwin. Graduation will be held at Norwin High School’s football stadium at 7:00 pm, weather permitting; or indoors in High School gymnasium if inclement weather. This year is the final time graduation will be held at this rendition of the stadium, as the stadium will be undergoing major renovations beginning in the fall of 2025.
Graduation also provides an opportunity for students such as senior class office president Molly Geissler to give a speech and leave a lasting impact on their peers.
“I’ve always wanted to speak at graduation because I feel like I’ve been very involved in Norwin and it just feels right to close off the chapter,” said Geissler. “I’d like to encourage everyone to embrace opportunities that come their way and live life with a positive outlook.
The stadium serves as a symbol and message for these graduating seniors. While all of what they know may seem like it is crumbling away, instead it is building a foundation for these seniors to grow and build their own future. While these seniors may feel fear, or sadness at leaving a place that they have had such formative years, for them to build something great they first must get rid of something great. No matter what lives they end up leading, the class of 2025 will always be students who grew up “on a grassy hillside.”
