One of the long standing traditions of the junior class at our school was upheld last weekend, as the Class of 2016 ventured into the Boston Harbor aboard a cruise ship. The Junior Boat Cruise brought a fitting conclusion to a year of hard work, with a night full of eating, dancing, and socializing.
Each year, the junior class raises money to contract The Odyssey, a private, high-end cruise ship service. The main feature of the cruise is two floors of dance space, with a DJ supplied by the ship. “Out of all the school dances I’ve been to, this one by far takes the cake,” said Ryan Connon ’16.
Fortunately there was plenty of room on board, because the majority of the junior class attended. “There were 320 kids out of about 360 in our grade [in attendance], so it was really great for everyone to come together, eat together, and dance together,” said junior class officer Matt Snyder ’16.
The money is raised mainly through the Junior Auction, but supplemented by ticket sales. Though originally an expected number of about 300 students were meant to attend, a higher than anticipated attendance rate increased the overall price. “The car wash we’re going to be having soon is going to offset those costs,” said Snyder.
The cruise for the juniors did not only consist of dancing, however. The ship also provided a buffet- style dinner.. The buffet included a variety of foods such as chicken, beef, salad, mac and cheese, and raviolis.
The only setback was the relatively cold temperature outside. Surprisingly, however, it proved to be an advantage. “The kids were dancing, got hot, went outside to cool off, came back inside and danced some more,” said Ms. Lynne Novogroski, one of the 12 staff members in attendance.
The boat cruise is a great way for the junior class to reward themselves with their work in what is thought to be the hardest year of high school. “I thought it was great to see our whole grade come together to have fun after a long year,” said Matt Russell ’16.
(Vincent Caruso ’16, Opinions Editor)