One last lap:  Students participate in first-ever senior walk-through

There are many traditions associated with seniors and their last few weeks of school, including senior spirit week, a class trip, a picnic at Rocks State Park, among others. This year, a new tradition was added to this time of year.

    On May 24, senior class advisors Mrs.Christine Allred, Ms. Denise Smick, and Mr. Scott Larbalestrier, led the Class of 2018 on one last lap around the halls of North Harford. With “Pomp and Circumstance” being broadcast throughout the building, underclassmen and staff lined the halls cheering and offering high fives, handshakes, and congratulations.

  All students, staff, and teachers were expected to participate as the seniors navigated their way through the building, following a carefully designed plan which was created by members of the yearbook staff.  

  Mrs. Carla Harward and Mrs. Jennifer Chandler approached Principal Colin Carr last year about hosting the walk-through, however it was too late in the planning process to make the addition to the schedule.  Harward and Chandler worked with their yearbook and journalism staffs respectively to plan the route, the music and the date well ahead of time this year so that the walkthrough could become a reality.

      “In all honesty, our job was easy,” said Chandler and Harward. “Once the route was in place and the music ready, we simply needed all the other people in the building to do their part.” The publication advisors expressed their gratitude that the administration and the senior class advisors were willing to assist in making the logistics work.

   Math teacher Ms. Hilary Stanmyer, who had a homeroom of seniors says, “ I think that the senior walk around was a really great idea for the seniors to get their last walk through the building and would be a great tradition to do every year.”

    Cafeteria manager Earliene Klapka said, “We loved it, what we enjoyed about it was we got to see the seniors the last time before they left.  My cashiers and my ladies back here, they all got close to a lot of them and that way they can say goodbye to them all.”

    Harward believes the event was “really successful and beneficial.” She and Chandler are hoping the event will be come an annual tradition to which they can expand by incorporating the elementary and middle schools in some way.  According to Carr, the school is planning on doing this event again for the seniors next year.

    Principal Carr said, “Oftentimes when you’re a senior you don’t realize the finality of graduation.  There are times when you’re in the halls for the last time or the theater for the last time and for most that is the last time that they will ever set foot in the building.”

  Seniors like Jocee Sevilla agreed. “I really enjoyed it, I loved walking through and seeing all my friends and them waving to me just made me feel really happy.”  Others like senior Austin Floyd added, “ It was kind of awkward having all of these people you don’t know clapping and staring at you.”