Isabel Lawrence
News Editor
From 12-2 on Monday, Aug. 27, the class of 2013 gathered at the high school parking lot for an afternoon of car painting, picnicking and reuniting with their fellow seniors. This annual event serves as a way to bring the senior class together before they embark on their last year at NCHS.
Seeing painted senior cars around town is to be expected in the beginning of every school year. However, the car painting isn’t meant for the sole purpose of decoration. According to senior Christy Coco, the event helped her gain school spirit. “The car painting was really fun and a great way to ease into the first day of school,” she said. “It made me realize how incredibly excited I am to be a senior and how awesome 2013 is.”
Similarly, senior Jesse Bird saw the car painting as an opportunity to anticipate the year ahead. “It was awesome to reunite with all my friends after a great summer,” he said. “We all had so much fun writing inside jokes on our cars and looking forward to our senior year of high school after all these years.”
For many seniors, the car painting was a way to see their class again after busy summers. “The senior picnic was really fun and a great way to start off the school year,” senior Michelle Halpert said. “Everyone was able to see each other and we just all got to bond as a grade.”
Senior Aly Schmidt also saw her grade come together on Monday. “Attending the senior picnic and being able to see everyone before school started really felt like our grade was coming together,” she said. “Senior year is about coming together and today was definitely the beginning to an amazing year where we can all rely on each other.”
Although rain caused some students to leave early, Quinn Gruver said she still saw her grade unite. “Seeing everyone before school started was a great way for the class to bond and it was really fun to finally be able to partake in the classic NCHS tradition of painting your car senior year, even with the rain towards the end!”
The event, which featured Chipotle-themed class t-shirts as well as the picnic’s food and drinks, was run by the seniors of the Student Coalition. Senior Courtney Cole especially enjoyed the picnic aspect of the day. “It was so much fun! It really got all of us pumped for senior year and brought the grade together. Plus the food – cones and nuggets – was awesome.”
The students are not the only ones who value the day. According to Principal Dr. Bryan Luizzi, the car painting and picnic is invaluable for the school as a whole. “Certain things that help bring the class together such as the car paintings and the t-shirts are very valuable and important because it’s an indicator of the school’s strength and culture, and I love that,” Dr. Luizzi said. “Traditions and things that we do that bring us together as a school are great.”
According to Student Body President Will Hennessy, the painting and picnic sets the tone for the school year. “The Senior Picnic is a great way for the Senior Class to see each other and get pumped for the year before school starts,” Will said. “We paint each others cars, get our class t-shirt and hang out. It was a blast and I think everyone is pumped for a great school year.”
