Step onto the quad during the early hours of the first day of school, and senior traditions are in full swing. Alongside the seniors decked out in outlandish costumes and the freshmen in their tacky T-shirts, the senior quad is equally transformed to fit the theme. Poms-poms flying and whistles blaring, the entirety of Menlo is face to face with one of the most ancient senior traditions: the first day of school festivities. Yet, for much of the student body, senior traditions throughout the rest of the year can be less noticeable. The difficulty behind planning these grade-bonding activities can melt into the background.
These traditions are not just events, but opportunities for the seniors to make the most of their final year at Menlo. From the senior theme on the first day of school to the senior prank at the end of the year, these activities allow students to get involved in school festivity, especially if they haven’t in previous years. “I think everyone wants to maximize our senior year, so they are really taking risks in terms of participating in the traditions,” senior senator Avani Ganesan said.
Student body vice president and senior Melanie Goldberg agrees with Ganesan, noting the camaraderie these traditions have fostered among the seniors. “We’ve grown as a senior class this year, especially just in terms of everybody getting involved,” Goldberg said. “It was really nice to see our whole grade cheering and spirited together.”
The seniors have already become closer through the traditions they’ve participated in — specifically, the Senior Web tradition during the class retreat. The entire class sat in a circle and passed a bundle of string to a classmate they weren’t as close with, eventually creating a “web.”
Seniors shouted out, complimented or apologized to the classmate they passed the yarn to. Student life coordinator senior Ellie Knoll said the senior web was one of her favorite memories from the retreat. “I think our grade did a good job of just reaching out to new groups of people,” Knoll said.
Senior Lauren Dempsey also believes the activity brought the class closer together. Despite initially being nervous, Dempsey found that all of her classmates were kind and made the experience positive. “There was a lot of love going around,” Dempsey said.
While senior class president Ryan Jabal acknowledges the possibility of controversial moments throughout Senior Web, he ultimately loved the experience. “The web was a special bonding moment to kick off our senior year that we’ll never forget,” he said.
The year is filled with similar traditions — Senior Assassin, Senior Ditch Day, Senior Prank — all of which take a great amount of effort and cooperation between the students, the student council and senior class dean Justin Carunchia. “I take it very seriously because I know that it creates memories that last so far beyond Menlo,” Carunchia said.
The importance of these traditions stems beyond just the senior class. “It’s really important that the seniors set the tone for the freshmen in terms of, ‘Is our school spirited? Do we actually have pride in our school?’” Student body president Cody Kletter said. Kletter noted the importance, albeit difficulty, of seniors staying spirited even with schoolwork and college applications.
Goldberg and Kletter encourage the senior class to make a lasting impression on future senior classes at Menlo. “Go full [out], this is your last year to do that,” Kletter said. “It’s kind of your legacy at the school.”
One way student council hopes this senior class will leave a legacy is through the recently introduced House System. While some seniors are worried the house system might interfere with upcoming senior traditions, such as the holiday assembly or homecoming float, Goldberg said that is not the intention. “[The houses are] not replacing, like, senior grade competitions and grade activities, but rather it’s in addition [to those things],” Goldberg said.
