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On February 15, 2015 the Blue Bell Country Club hosted the class of 2015 Senior Banquet. All the students seemed to enjoy themselves and the appetizing menu offered.  They laughed and cheered throughout the Mock Awards and hit the dance floor with enthusiasm later in the evening. This banquet is one of the few times the entirety of the senior class can come together and enjoy a night of eating, dancing, and comraderie.

The seniors came dressed in their best for the occasion. Some senior girls came in with gowns while others came dressed with formal dresses, jumpers, or slacks with blouses. Female winner of best dressed Daija Moore-Evans came wearing a loose short jumper suit with stilettos. Some ladies strutted with 6-inch heels or other types of foot wear, while female winner of best kicks, Janell Norfleet, wore black stilettos.  However, when the music started to play, Ms. Norfleet made her way to the dance floor wearing a different pair of shoes while her stilettos remained at her table.

The senior boys were not to be outdone in fashion by their fairer classmates.  Many gentlemen came dressed with suits, sweaters, dress shirts, dress pants and even a silk suit jacket worn by male winner of best dressed, Kyle Simpson. Similarly eye-catching was Tredale Tally, male winner of biggest gossip, wearing a leather suit jacket. The senior boys splashed with their dress shoes as well.  Male winner of best kicks, Tyeler Kingkiner, came wearing Balenciaga shoes, a brand known to have been worn by top Hollywood stars and A-listers.

The Blue Bell Country Club provided a full dinner that was covered in the price of each ticket. Attendees had plenty of options to choose from, including steak, fish, and chicken with sauce, asparagus, salad, rice, and fruit. After dinner, the candy bar had a steady flow of students from the moment it opened. It consisted of chocolate and vanilla ice cream with toppings of sprinkles, whip cream, and cherries; there were cookies and M&M’s too.

Many senior teachers who came to support their students; some even took selfies with their students as mementos. The banquet hall was bursting with laughter, merriment, and friendship throughout the event. Fellow classmates cheered, supported, and laughed with all award recipients as they donned their sashes.

There were twenty-seven mock awards given out that night. Each student was nominated and voted as “the most” by their classmates.  Categories’ ranged from “Life of the Party” to “Best Singer.” Some would say that the real event began after all of the awards were given out. The DJ starting playing the music and had the senior’s “turning up.” They gathered around one another laughing and enjoying themselves. There was a variety of music which pumped up the crowd. In this time of selfies, Instagram, and Snapchat the seniors took lots of opportunities to capture and embarrass friends. When line songs came on even teachers showed off moves. Who doesn’t love the cha cha slide remix? The soul train line was formed when Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” started playing inviting each student to groove down the aisle and show off their moves.

According to Martin Witherspoon winner of male best singer, “my overall experience was great,[the] food was delicious, and dancing was fun and engaging.”  Yet, when asked about mock awards he was bitter about some choices, but revealed “I was happy about winning male best singer.” When asked how she felt about the whole experience, Juliette McLean replied, “It was fun having an evening with fellow seniors, and [I] enjoyed being with friends.”  McLean declared with a smile on her face that she was positively anticipating the event: “I was very excited to get dressed up and come looking fancy and [to] see how everyone else looked.” She continued to share her thoughts about the Mock Awards stating, “It was exciting when awards were given out, along with cheering on friends. I felt excitement plus curiosity for who was going to win each award, however I felt a few winners didn’t reflect who many people thought were going to win.” Still her reviews of the music choices were not all positive: “the music the DJ played was good but rarely he answered requests, and I think we had as much fun as we possibly could with what was played, but please do not get him for senior prom”.

Overall, Witherspoon and McLean gave the event two thumbs up and from the feeling of togetherness that seem to eminate through the hall and the countless smiles shared throughout the evening, I’d say that most would agree with their reviews.