Junior Leadership Mass
Leading the way
The current seniors are leaving, and the school deemed the current juniors fit for recognition in the Junior Leadership Mass on 2023/4/20.
At 6:30, the students began lining up in the Litton Gym (small gym), where they waited for about half an hour before entering the Kane Center (large gym). Mr. Campbell gave a short speech to prepare them for the event.
At the mass, there were speeches from Mr. Campbell, Dr. Barker, and Father Tom about leadership and what it means for the rising seniors from the Class of 2024. Students were told to look back on their earlier days in order to gain wisdom, and they were advised that leadership is not a lonely position, but one amongst the led.
The rising seniors sat in foldable chairs in the center of the large gym, akin to where current seniors sit during masses. This was meant to suggest that the Class of 2024 soon will be seniors.
Many family members and friends also came to the Mass, gazing down on the students from the bleachers.
The mass also included several vocal and instrumental works that Mr. Spottswood organized. Perhaps the highlight of those pieces was the violin solo that ended one of the songs, leaving many students fascinated by the skillful playing.
The students triumphantly left the mass and gathered in the gallery. Some were excited to receive their class rings, which was the main incentive for many students to attend the mass. Students had the option to purchase a ring beforehand if they wanted. Proud parents came to meet their kids and take pictures.
So, after all the parents had filed out of the gym, those students who had bought rings reentered the gym and looked through a few cardboard boxes for the ones that they had each ordered. They each found a small white box with their name on it, and inside was either an item of black felt made to look like a miniature graduation cap, or a wooden box that opened via a hinge. These containers held the rings. They could be made of a few different materials, and the school’s insignia adorned the top of the rings. Each ring had its owner’s name and class year inscribed on the inside.
The rising seniors will not easily forget this event and what it stood for—the fact that they will soon be the leaders of the student body.
