As this school year was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, faculty and staff all shared the same question: “What can we do for our seniors to celebrate them?” Having experienced a year with so much uncertainty and limited opportunities for fun, the Xavier faculty was determined to find something that would make the wonderful seniors feel loved and appreciated as their high school careers come to a close. 

 Luckily, with Covid-19 restrictions being lifted, Xavier  was able to have its first and final rally of the year as well as a new tradition entitled “Senior Day”. This past April 16, seniors gathered on the lawn in front of the belltower, followed by the rally which they were finally able to attend in person. 

Senior day is a new tradition in which seniors relax with friends and participate in fun activities during school hours. It began with watching the sunrise with friends, followed by breakfast provided by the freshman student council. Sister Lynn delivered her classic graduation talk, and there were also fun games, music and little gifts. 

“Senior day was great. It felt nice to finally have a day for our class because we haven’t gotten much this year. As someone who comes in person every day, I was so happy to see everyone finally at school!” said senior Maggie Kamps.

Finally, the class of 2021 lined up at 9:45 for the traditional procession into the AC, with graduation hats brought to them by the executive board. Students of all grades were able to admire the seniors’ accomplishments by watching them live such a special moment- their last ever Xavier rally. 

According to Xavier staff member Shelly Cahill, the administration was eager to allow senior students to finally stand in the Activities Center all together. When they found out from the diocese they were able to increase capacity, their first thought was to let the frosh come as well because they had never truly experienced a Xavier rally in person. 

“My favorite part about the rally was not only the dancing but definitely the feeling of being back to normal. It was the best feeling ever to be able to safely participate in something with most of the school and still have a fun time,” said freshman student council member Kenzie Garlick.

The rest of the student body and staff sat socially-distanced in the Performing Arts Center, still led by their class officers and still being able to watch the entirety of the rally on a large screen. Junior Maddy Jorgensen said, “Surprisingly enough the energy was unmatched and the student council leaders did a great job of making it fun for us. The screaming competition and Alma Mater were much louder than I expected.” 

One could argue that because this was the one and only rally of the entire 2020-2021 school year, every single performance was top-notch. The student council officers of each grade looked like they were having the time of their lives on the gym floor, bringing incredibly creative pieces to the table. It was bittersweet to watch the senior executive board and student council dance their hearts out one last time. 

Some other special performances were delivered by the teachers, with an upbeat dance choreographed by frosh dance teacher Kelly Scovel. The faculty who participated had worked very hard to perfect this routine, and it most certainly brought a smile to everyone’s faces. Students and staff were also able to watch entertaining performances from the talented Spiritline and Gatorline teams. 

Despite all that the class of 2021 has missed out on, Xavier tried to give them at least one day that made it feel normal. This year was unlike any other, and the seniors deserved all the extra love and appreciation for their accomplishments these past four years.