Dear Seniors,

May 17 officially marks the last day we get to spend together in East High School.

May 17 is our last chance to be kids before we have to enter the adult world.

May 17 ends the routine that we’ve known for the past 13 years.

The feelings have still not kicked in, and no one has really come to terms that there is only
about a month left of school. It will be hard to get past this unnatural feeling, since we are used
to the routine of going to school every day for the past 13 years. On top of that, we were also
robbed out of half of our high school experience. No one could have ever imagined the last four
years to turn out the way it did. And nothing can ever go back to the way it was.

Two ladies in our class have done their best in planning events to uplift the E-Rabs spirit, but
unfortunately, it’ll never be the same back to how it was before Covid-19 President of the
National Honors Society, Anna Gray, played a huge role in coordinating the themes for the
basketball games.

“Most people for games came but were not dressed up and didn’t sit in the student section,”
said Gray.

Vice President of our class, Ashley Harkey, showed up to every football game being the only
one dressed with the theme. While some people stood in the student section, no one seemed to
be very interested in the chants or theme.

“It was disheartening, because I truly wanted to make everything fun for everyone around and
lift the spirits of others,” said Harkey.

I have been on the dance team since my freshman year, and dating back to when I first started,
the crowd was so supportive and cheerful each time we performed. Looking back at it, I never
realized how I took those moments for granted. Hearing a silent crowd this year when we
performed makes me miss the moments when we had a student section.

“They were much more rambunctious a couple years ago,” said Jim Parker, building principal.
Homecoming and Powderpuff have been the most normal events the school has had since
lockdown. Last year, they had Homecoming outside due to social distancing, and this year, we
were able to have it in the school again. Ticket sales for Homecoming were a success, and
everything was a huge turnout.

“[Turnout] was pretty good…it was the first homecoming held in[side] since 2019,” said Parker.

Powderpuff was another event that was finally back to normal this past fall. Last year, during flag
football, the junior and senior boys competed against each other with their dance, but there
were no relays for the girls to compete. This year, a normal Powderpuff was organized, and
again there was a huge turnout.

“I think we did get more E-Rab spirit, and it brought us all closer together, like a class bonding,”
said Gray.

To the Class of 2023, I am so sorry that we were robbed from the high school experiences, and
nothing could ever get us back into the spirit again. Pushing through online learning was so
ruthless, and we managed to get past that. Class of 2023, we have been through tough times,
and we were so young, but we have learned so much from this experience.

Senior Prom will be held May 13 at the Hoffman House, and we’re hoping for a great turnout this
year. The theme is going to be masquerade, and there is even a post prom held at FLOW. This
will be our last chance to enjoy ourselves together and have a night of fun, and we should make
up for the last years of fun that we missed out on.

To the Class of 2024, I hope your E-Rab spirit returns for your senior year, and you guys are
able to enjoy everything to its fullest. You will be the last class who had to do online learning
while in high school, so you guys deserve to make up for the lost parts of your high school
experience.

“Even if it is just you supporting your school by yourself, you’re letting other people know it’s
okay to have fun at East,” Harkey said.

In the end, we all just need to enjoy ourselves until May 17, because it marks the end of our
youth, the end of high school and the beginning of our adulthood.

Never forget, “Once an E-Rab, Always an E-Rab.”