Senior section

Photos by JENNA HICKEY So Long, SENIoRS

THE CLASS OF 2021 REFLECTS ON FOUR YEARS

WHEN THE STUDENTS of the Class of 2021 were freshmen, we did not expect our senior year to be anything like this one. We took relaxing on the quad, passing period trips to Town and Country Village and the lunch time concerts for granted. After a year of isolation from friends and teachers, we are now in the last moments of high school and ready to throw our decorated caps in the air in Viking Stadium.

From the friends we met sitting next to one another in math class to the frenzied float building nights during Spirit Week, we will hold onto the lessons we have learned and memories we’ve made at Palo Alto High School.

With graduation around the corner, we say a final farewell to the Media Arts Center bathrooms with no soap, the beaten up Spikeball nets, the mural of Jeremy Lin in the Peery Center and the Student Center stage where we witnessed the original Oscar’s band perform as freshmen.

Class of 2-1, we finally got it done! v

COUNTDOWN TO GRADUATION (TOP LEFT) — A group of seniors smile for a photo after picking up their graduation caps and gowns at a socially-distanced event in April. DRESSED FOR SUCCESS (TOP RIGHT) — Seniors Hayden Jung-Goldberg, Hana Erickson and Annika Shah dressed as sophisticates during a Spirit Week rally for Generations Day.

SHINING BRIGHT (ABOVE) — Seniors Justin Laxamana, Sabrina Chan, Winter Pickett and Halo Lynch smile at the camera while dressed in yellow for Color Day.

PALY PRIDE (LEFT) — On Paly Pride Day, seniors decked out in Paly-themed gear pose for the camera during a lunch rally. Photo: Kimi Lillios

“Float building. It’s like production for a magazine, but with the whole class.”

— VIJAY HOMAN

“College Decision Day where all of the seniors got to wear their college merch to school. As a freshman, it was so cool to see the seniors represent their future schools, so since then I have been excited to have the experience for myself.”

— NOELLE BURWELL

“During sophomore year when we went to Clovis for the swimming state championships. On the last night, we stayed up until 2 A.M. playing on Eric Gabbasof’s [Class of `22] PS4 and eating chips and ice cream.”

— JAMES FETTER

“Playing at the football games in pep band. Especially walking back from the games and getting to play really loud and blast.”

— REIN VASKA

What do you wish you had learned as a freshman?

“I wish I’d really internalized the fact that failure and disappointment are inevitable. You are not invincible and if you don’t fail at least once then you’re not challenging yourself enough. And also that it’s 100% normal and okay to cry in the bathroom by yourself at lunch after really, really bombing a math quiz because we have mostly all been there.”

— KIRA STERLING

“I wish I knew that if you cry enough you can get an A.”

— SUKHMAN SAHOTA

“I really wish I had been more outgoing. Now I’m good friends with a lot of people I wouldn’t have expected to be. Being scared of saying hi is the biggest waste of time.”

— DAVID EVANS

“I wish I had learned that teachers are actually approachable and will help you with pretty much anything. I used to be so scared as a freshman to ask questions, and now I realize how silly that was.”

— RYAN LEONG

What will you miss most about Paly?

“I’ve lived here my entire life so I’ve known a lot of Paly kids since I was young. It’s definitely going to be hard to part ways with them.”

— AARON KIM

“The friends I’ve made and playing for the baseball team.”

— AIDAN BERGER

“Sitting on the Quad under the sun at lunch people-watching.”

— ADORA ZHENG

“As I saunter through the green grassy Quad, the tingling sounds of chatter and warmth of the light breeze pervade my senses. That is what I’ll miss most.”

— ANDY WANG

PAC-MAN DAY — The Class of 2021 fills the bleachers in Viking Stadium as they cheer for their classmates during lunchtime Spirit Week activities. 2000’S STYLE — Seniors Noelle Burwell and Sukhman Sahota smile for a picture during Senior week. Photo: Kylie Mies

Thank you to Verde Magazine’s sponsors!

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