The senior class gathered on September 24 for the annual Senior Unity Day. Sophomores and juniors had no school, and the freshmen went on their class trip to the Baltimore Basilica.
Unity Day is a tradition, and seniors look forward to this fun event each year.
Academics Project Manager Louise Geczy said the tradition started because “many years ago, seniors started asking for something to bond the class together sooner than Senior Retreat.”
Senior Unity Day was created so seniors could come together as individuals and as a class from the very beginning.” The day is intended to be a fun, stress-free experience.
The dress code was casual, and seniors wore their green class t-shirts. They gathered on the football field for their class picture to be taken and were arranged in the shape of a 25 to represent their graduation year.
Lunch was provided for all students. The meal was from Chick-fil-A.
Seniors were randomly assigned groups that they stayed with throughout the morning as they went from station to station.
Mrs. Geczy said, “Everybody comes together to start the year on a positive note, and seniors interact with people they don’t have classes with.”
Some of the day’s stations included a dunk tank, a bounce house obstacle course, Zumba, and various sports and academic challenges.
There were also drawings and opportunities for the seniors to win prizes.
Students used the Goose Chase app to navigate the activities of the day and keep track of the competition.
Tying Senior Unity Day back to John Carroll’s Catholic Mission, the students participated in a service project and painted bowls with will be auctioned off to raise money for people in need.
Mrs. Geczy said Senior Unity Day is meaningful “because it is the beginning of the year as a senior. It says ‘Look at us, we are the class of 2025;’ you will carry this with you for the rest of your life. You will always be a member of the class of 2025 at The John Carroll School. As we always say, ‘Once a Patriot, Always a Patriot.’”
Mrs. Geczy continued, “The day gives an important sense of connection that keeps us going. It is an uplifting way to start the year.”
Senior Mia Castellano said that her favorite part of Senior Unity Day was painting the bowls and added, “Senior Unity Day is special because we all get to grow closer together.”
Preparation for Senior Unity Day began shortly after last year’s event. The planning team met to discuss revisions to last year’s Unity Day. Then in the spring, they regrouped and started making plans. Faculty members were assigned to either Unity Day or the freshman trip.
Mrs. Geczy said her favorite part of Senior Unity Day is “how enthusiastic the teams get. I love seeing people smiling, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company.”
Senior Nelia Kelleher said, “I think it is special because we all get to be together doing something fun without having to do school work.” Her favorite part of Senior Unity Day was getting to dunk Mrs. Roy in the dunk tank.