Senior Night, a tradition within the Highly Gifted Magnet (HGM) dating back at least 30 years, was held at North Hollywood High School on Friday, May 22. Just like every year, the juniors of HGM planned and hosted a surprise party for the seniors that included themed decorations, games and speeches.
When entering the quad, seniors were greeted with a series of activities and decorations, all tied to the same theme: Las Vegas. Cutouts of hotels, a Venetian man on a boat, and even the Las Vegas Eiffel Tower lined the walkway, with dealers taking position behind several moss green gambling tables. Juniors served sprinkle-rimmed Coca-Cola floats at the drinks bar, situated just beside a table offering a wide array of candy.
“Senior Night was really fun and sweet,” said HGM senior Faye Du. “You could tell that a lot of effort was put in and all of the games were really fun.” In addition to poker, other activities included Senior Jeopardy and an arm-wrestling competition between two teachers with a crowd of students cheering them on.
The long hours of preparation for this event mostly took place in K231, a classroom belonging to APUSH teacher Mx. Tien, where students used scissors, paintbrushes, and markers to bring their creative vision to life. In the process, they often had to balance collaborative needs with creative agency.
HGM junior Lesly Shim describes this experience as stressful but also rewarding. “Sometimes the moment you do one thing, someone else changes it and the moment you change it, someone wants it back. But you know, it’s been fun just collaborating with everyone.”
When coming up with the theme, juniors debated ideas such as Masquerade or James Bond 007, but eventually decided on Las Vegas.
“We’re trying to differentiate it from ‘Casino,’ which was a theme a few years ago. So we’re gonna have a lot of stuff based on the vibe of Vegas and not just the gambling part of Vegas,” said Stella Crane, another HGM junior. “We’re making the Las Vegas strip and all the different hotels, and then we’re having this Statue of Liberty cutout.”
These hotels include the Bellagio, Caesars Palace, The Venetian, The Flamingo, and the New York-New York Hotel, all of which are featured in the decorations. The juniors have also replaced the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign with one that reads “Welcome to Noho.”
The highlight of the night, however, is often the speeches given by the juniors, who are each assigned a senior to write about. “The speeches are an integral part of our traditions,” said HGM junior Guthrie Luke. “They show the appreciation we have for the seniors.” Some are humorous, while others are more complimentary, and most take around a minute or two. Juniors prepared them using observations from teachers and friends of the senior.
“You could really tell that they looked into each of our unique personalities and were able to reflect that in those speeches,” said Du. “And there were also a couple of jokes and funny moments in the speeches as well.”
With the speeches, the games, the decorations, and the food, this year’s Senior Night was a smashing success, showing a level of dedication and collaboration that surpassed the years before it. When it comes to celebrating its seniors, the HGM makes sure that the effort is there and the result is unforgettable.
