All ready to graduate
St. Patrick High School students have prom tonight, graduation tomorrow afternoon
Candace Thomson
Northern News Services
Published Friday, May 30, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
This year's round of graduates from St. Patrick High School are probably waking up this morning nervous, excited and a little in awe.
Seventeen-year-old Luisa Esteban, left, and Liam Cameron, 17, string lights along the walls of the St. Patrick High School gymnasium on Wednesday, getting ready for their prom tonight and convocation tomorrow afternoon. - Candace Thomson/NNSL photo |
Tonight is prom, the last big party for the group of 90 graduates that, for the most part, have spent the past four years together, sharing trials and accomplishments, wondering where their futures would take them.
"It should be a good time. Everyone's been looking forward to this for a long time," said Liam Cameron, one of the grads who's been organizing the ceremonies with the help of teachers and staff.
"We're all really happy to get out of high school, and almost everyone is travelling pretty far from home. It's going to be an adventure."
The students will have the chance to show off their outfits which they've meticulously planned for months, with the grand march at 8 p.m. tonight, which will lead them through the gymnasium in their high school as friends and family watch.
Cameron and fellow graduate Luisa Esteban, who also helped with planning, said there hasn't been any whispers of strange outfits or escorts this year, unlike last year, when one student brought a Taylor Swift cut out as his date.
The graduates also have no idea what the theme for their prom is, as it's kept a secret from them every year.
"We have no idea what it's going to be until we show up," said Cameron.
As planners, both Cameron and Esteban said they hope their fellow graduates enjoy the night.
"We've been talking about this for years," said Cameron. "It's pretty nice to be the ones to plan what you're about to experience instead of someone planning the whole thing for you, and work out what you want."
"I think it's a little bittersweet," said Esteban. "It's good to have everyone together one more time, but it's probably been like four years that we've all been together."
For the students, it's exhilarating and nostalgic, but vice-principal Todd Stewart said it's also a proud moment for the staff at the high school.
"It's a great combination of four years hard work," Steward said. "As staff, we're always happy to help them celebrate the tremendous achievement of graduation."
After their prom, the graduates will go their separate ways until Saturday morning for their convocation mass at St. Patrick Parish at 10:30 a.m., followed by the convocation ceremony beginning at 2 p.m.
Once the pomp and circumstance is finished and diplomas have been handed out, graduates will go to the Yellowknife Community Arena for safe grad, which is an alcohol-free party for the graduates meant to prevent alcohol-related accidents.
These events will wrap up an entire week of grad preparation and activities, such as the grad retreat on Thursday evening at Prelude Lake, where they got to camp with their class and read letters they wrote to themselves back in Grade 9.
