Congratulations, Class of 2020!
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The Class of 2020 graduated Sunday, May 31, celebrating the end of their high school careers. We congratulate them as they go forward, prepared for a multitude of opportunities and challenges. The following issue honors their accomplishments, destinations, and serves to remind them of their past four years. FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2020 Photos by Eva Roytburg VOL. C, NO. 14 Congratulations, Class of 2020! Glenview, IL Glenview, PERMIT 319 PERMIT PAID US POSTAGE US NONPROFIT ORG NONPROFIT 2 The New Trier News News Friday, June 5, 2020 May Day account helps provide closure something fun to do every day,” said closure to the school year and Instagram lets Okninski. connects the senior class in This concept has become celebrating their achievements. seniors experience similarly popular at many “I think after having so many May Day neighboring schools like Loyola things taken away so fast, anything Academy and Evanston. But the that gives seniors a chance at by Cleo Pool big difference is that Okninski has something normal really helps,” partnered with a New Trier parent to said Okninski. “I hope the account Despite not being at school for sell yard signs that mimic the posts. brings some sort of normalcy to the traditional May Day, seniors are These have become a popular everyone’s lives during a time like receiving the recognition through way to display where students plan this and honors a tradition we were the New Trier May Day Instagram to go. all looking forward to.” account. Since the account has grown, It allows seniors to send a Okninski has seen many of her peers photo, their future plans, and major get the recognition they deserve. ‘I think after having so and minor. All information provided After four years, their hard many things taken away is then posted on the account, run by work has paid off and this account senior Kayla Okninski. helps give them closure. so fast, anything that The account, with more than “For me, I’ve gotten a sense gives seniors a chance 1,300 followers and over 500 posts of closure seeing kids I’ve known so far, is a way for seniors to connect or passed in the hall since freshman at something normal with their fellow classmates while year, and even earlier, off to do really helps’ apart. Okninski created this account amazing things,” said Okninski. in April after realizing that her class The account is only open to New Trier seniors but is not connected to would be unable to celebrate this Although spending a fourth of the school. Still, Okninski applauds special moment together. She had their senior year in remote learning the work that the school has done to found a similar post honoring a and not being able to spend their help students cope with not finishing senior and she knew that she had to last day of high school together, this their senior year together. step into action. year’s senior class is making the best “I also think that coaches “I honestly am not exactly sure slowly but with the help of some Okninski. of it. are putting an immense effort to how I got inspired specifically, but I friends, she was able to reach more After this huge response, “Overall, I think it shows how recognize their seniors with online remember on my Instagram explore and more seniors. Okninski got to work. She created the class of 2020 has been able to banquets, senior nights, etc. I know a page I saw a mom post a tribute to “I was so nervous about it and multiple posts per hour. With all the grow stronger as a community despite lot of seniors really, really appreciate their senior daughter and it was a kept forcing all my friends to send me free time she had while in quarantine, any challenges they’ve encountered,” all efforts from New Trier teachers, really cute post,” said Okninski. their information so it didn’t look that Okininski didn’t feel overwhelmed said Okninski. Okninski made a draft post and empty because it started off kind of instead she was grateful that it had coaches, etc. to honor their hard sent it to her friends. After receiving slow. But after I asked a green team given her something to do. work,” said Okninski. positive reactions, she decided to captain to post my account on their “At this point, I have a system to May Day is a day many look create the account. It started off page, I woke up to 70 DMs,” said make them quickly, and it gives me forward to because it provides Retiree destinations 2020 Thank you, support staff. We couldn’t do it without you Kathy Lee Michael Clough “I began, in September 2008, as the “I have taught at New Trier for Heidi Haueisen assistant for the Senior Project, SILC 26 years and taught for a total of and SAP programs. I left when my 33 years. After retiring, I plan on family moved and was fortunate continuing to travel. I have been to enough to be re-hired eight years 49 states and will go on an Alaskan ago, as the assistant for the Social cruise next summer to complete my Work Department. My plans for goal of visiting all 50 states. Also I retirement include spending more have been to 240 national parks and time with family in California, have many more I am looking to Colorado and Northern Michigan. I experience.” look forward to painting, gardening, exploring new hobbies and having the flexibility to go where the wind takes me.” Arnold Jean-Jacques We at the New Trier News want to extend our immense gratitude to all of the security guards, janitors, and Jacqueline De Ment essential workers at New Trier. It Juan Fernandez shouldn’t take a pandemic to recognize all of the incredible work you do year round for students. Your bravery and William Loris commitment throughout this crisis “I started at New Trier in 2003. My wife and I are relocating to our has been inspiring. School could not lake home in southern Wisconsin. Colleen Sheridan We have some travel plans. We’ll “I have been at New Trier for 15 be doing plenty of outdoor activities Brian Woodruff function without every single one of years. My retirement plan is to and seeing more of our family and “I have been at NT since 1984. I spend time with family, travel, and you. Thank you. friends.” believe that I might be the faculty live in Palm Springs during the member with the longest number of winter.” years at NT at this time.” THE NEW TRIER NEWS PERSPECTIVES FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2020 3 Staff Editorial Hindsight is (the class of) 20/20 To the class of 2020 And in hindsight, these experiences Grandma’s 80th birthday celebration e haveW reached the end of a typical, ordinary, and frankly unremarkable seem insignificant compared to all and publish the last few issues of the senior year at New Trier... just kidding. Obviously, COVID-19 has given us a final the amazing memories I made at New Trier News. semester unlike any other. New Trier. I am thankful for late The Senior Art Exhibition was Honestly, it’s disappointing. We all had expectations for what our last quarter of nights in the newsroom, golden hour cancelled. And it is disappointing high school would look like. None of us quite anticipated a college commitment day via at photo club, and lunch/free periods that I probably won’t be able to Instagram, or having our final classroom discussions through Zoom. Prom went online, at the third floor counters. And I say one last proper goodbye to and graduation was a very peppy drive-through and virtual commencement. Though our would also like to sincerely thank many of my teachers. But I don’t teachers went above and beyond to ensure we continued to feel connected, this was not my friends who helped keep me sane think that the loss of this handful the ideal end to our high school years. throughout it all. of events deserves to overshadow We have all had widely different experiences the last four years. We are talented High school was a crazy, the sheer number of other amazing student athletes, speech/debaters, engineers, dancers, artists, actors, student council wonderful, and tiring rollercoaster. experiences I had at New Trier. members, do-gooders, fashion designers, entrepreneurs, coders, musicians, mathletes, Some tears were shed, but then tutors, photographers, inventors, and out-of-the-box thinkers. While we may not always by Julia Nagel again a mental breakdown or two is I am thankful for late feel we have much in common, we now share this bizarre common experience. practically a job requirement for high We have come of age along with the Trump Administration, which has been a Even though I had my fair school students. And I am admittedly nights in the newsroom, roller coaster. We have seen some of the largest protests since the late 1960s. We saw the share of crappy days and bad grades, a little frustrated when I think back golden hour at photo #MeToo Movement, progress for the LGBTQIA+ community, the March for Our Lives, looking back at my 3.75 years at on the thousands of hours I spent an impeachment trial, an international refugee crisis, and a trade war. Rainforests caught New Trier, it’s clear how incredibly on homework assignments—time club, and lunch/free on fire, there were climate strikes, Twitter storms, and fears of World War III.