Dissecting the First Day

With college applications around the corner, AP classes, standardized testing, and much more, the class of 2018 is under constant pressure. No matter how stressed they are, the seniors act as constant role models to ACP students. Their hard work and dedication does not go unnoticed, especially on the first day of every year.

According to ACP tradition, the first day of every school year acts as a day to get to know other students and reconnect with old ones. These activities take more planning and preparation then one may think. Ms. Lindstrom, the AP Lang teacher, helped to direct the seniors on this strenuous journey. When asked about the process of the planning, Ms. Lindstrom explained how she only initiated the first steps; she helped the seniors to express their ideas, while still listening to others. She disclosed the chaotic process of deciding what to do and how long it took to plan, however she expressed how self-sufficient the seniors were, once they had an idea they took off and made it happen. The seniors worked from the last day of their junior year up until the night before the first day. Austin Foreman, a current senior, was greatly involved in the first day activities. He was a station leader and stated, “I created the curriculum for the computer station. I also attended all… senior meetings and helped decorate the gym.” He is only one example of the 96 creative minds that came together to form a cohesive group.

Without the seniors guiding the school, the first day would not have gone as smoothly as it did, despite the gloomy weather. Hope O’Brien, fellow classmate to Austin Foreman, stated the only thing she would do differently is “have back up plans for weather, the rain certainly was a bit unexpected.” Hope’s advice to the student body of ACP is to “enjoy school while you’re in it”; she explained how she is realizing now, as a senior, all the opportunities she both did and did not take. Her final tip for surviving high school is to not stress too much, and as her senior quote states, “Don’t die.”