During the first assembly, as I watched our amazing Chamber Singers join hands and sing the Alma Mater, it finally struck me that I am living out my last year of childhood. That’s why from this moment on, I plan on taking to heart the cliché advice from all adults: “Enjoy high school because it’s never coming back.”

The Senior Class of 2012 Lives Like There's No Tomorrow

As teenagers, we try really hard to disassociate ourselves from clichés. But this year, we should try to understand that maybe clichés came about for a reason and that maybe adults actually do know what they’re talking about when they say, “Live in the moment.” Senior year is really a special time for all of us, so we should take the next ten months as slowly as we can.

The Senior Bonfire, Senior Dress-Up Day, Senior Picnic, and Senior Scooter Day have made me truly proud to be a part of the Class of 2012. I used to think our class was incapable of being the best senior class, but THANK YOU all for proving me completely wrong. Why did I ever think that? I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I never thought it possible for all the members of our class to get along together as a cohesive group.

Senior registration—what used to be the cruel reminder of the start of another school year—was the first of the many exciting get-togethers. It was a blast because no one was afraid to talk to the kid they hadn’t seen since junior high. Everyone was talking to everyone. I sensed a feeling of anticipation for a terrific year, and the vibe encouraged me to start looking forward to the year. When I attended the Senior Picnic, I watched my classmates eagerly buy their senior T-shirts and munch on Subway sandwiches as they recounted their summer adventures. It was a simple gathering, but it was enough to convince me to attend all future senior events.

The most memorable senior event so far has been the Senior Bonfire which occurred a week before school started. By 8pm, most of the seniors were already gathered at Dockweiler. Seniors huddled around the fire pits, making s’mores and schmoozing. After talking with my own friends, I took a step back and smiled as I watched my classmates enjoying the mere presence of each other. It was an incredible sight. Well, it was much more inspiring than watching those college girls try to catch the attention of our senior boys, who are definitely out of their league (wink, wink).

Once school started, I knew my class wanted to make a statement. On the first Friday, we demanded the attention of all parents and students as we held up traffic on Viro, riding our scooters down the hill with almost no accidents.

There’s a great obstacle facing us, from schoolwork to college applications. But at the same time, there are many chances for us to enjoy the road to the end of high school, and we should make as many stops as possible.

Class of 2012, the spotlight is finally on us. Can we handle it?

Oh yes, I believe we are ready to begin our glorious reign for the next ten months.

2012, ailin, ailin kim, class of 2012, coffee, over a cup of coffee, Seniors, seniors 2012