Source: Ohlone College
With the end of the year, and graduation, rapidly approaching, it’s the perfect time to reminisce on the major school events that occurred in the past 10 months. I think that this high school experience is worth remembering, especially after it was restricted for a while due to the pandemic.
September 2021
Now this was a momentous month. For a lot of people, it was the first time coming back to in-person school after almost a year and a half! I know everyone was unsure of whether or not it was going to last, but we were all excited to be able to see our friends, acquaintances, and teachers on a daily basis after so long, gaining some sense of normalcy back into our lives.
October 2021
Other than seniors stressing out about Early Decision deadlines for colleges, October was the month of autumn leaves, Showcase, and the start up of various sports events. The biggest sporting event was Homecoming, with its pink-out, MTHS football team win, and nominations for Homecoming King and Queen. Earlier that month, I also volunteered at the Marching Band Homeshow, which brought in schools from across the state to perform their band and color guard routine in our very own gymnasium.
It was also Garba season, which is a type of dance that originates in Gujarat, India where people in traditional clothes twirl, clap, and perform in large rotating circles. Festivities extended across various cultures, ending with Halloween on the 31st. I hope that I never get too old to dress up.
The Marching Band Homeshow took place primarily in the MTHS gym.
December 2021
Again, December saw flurried seniors rush and ensure that their college applications and essays were submitted before the deadline of January 1st. While this process and look into the future definitely made me and others anxiety-ridden, events like the Winter Chorus Concert helped put off that stress, at least for a while. I remember putting on my concert choir dress, pearls, and black shoes and singing my heart out on stage. Friends and family came out to support us, and even alumni joined in when we sang an arrangement of “Night of Silence/Silent Night”.
The Concert Choir performing their set at the 2021 Winter Concert.
January 2022
Happy graduation year! The number we’ve been seeing on all of our field day shirts since elementary school was suddenly in the near future. Other than the influx of covid-19 cases right after winter break that resulted in remote learning for one week, January also saw a lot of snow.
February 2022
I am so glad that I got to partake in live concerts this year because collaborating with so many fellow students in order to make good and astonishing music has been so rewarding. In February, the Central Jersey Region Chorus Concert was hosted by the Monroe Township High School. I got to work with and learn from amazing conductors and sing with people from various areas in New Jersey.
Our school also held the annual Murder Mystery event and a Robotics competition this month. From being excellent actors to intelligent programmers, these students at MTHS decidedly showcase their many talents.
Surabhi Ashok (right) and Rebekah Calderon (left) are pictured posing right before they get on stage to perform in the CJMEA Chorus Concert.
March 2022
At this point, it’s to be expected that I’m going to be talking about almost every musical event. On March 16, some students made their debut as a singer or the accompaniment at the 2022 Spring Coffeehouse. People performed “Vienna”, “Stone Cold”, “If I Were A Boy”, and “Easy on Me” to name a few. I myself sang “All Too Well” by Taylor Swift with Rose Ayar playing piano. It was so fun and exciting to perform a song I loved for peers and adults alike as well as hear others’ renditions of popular songs.
Surabhi Ashok (right) and Rose Ayar (left) performing All Too Well by Taylor Swift at the 2022 Spring Coffeehouse.
April 2022
April was a time when I could not go five minutes without someone asking me if I had decided what college I was going to next year. I visited many campuses, and eventually when someone asked me, I could give them a definite answer and say I was going to Rutgers Honors for business and journalism in the fall.
May 2022
May was a busy month. Other than the numerous induction ceremonies and AP tests, there was a lively three hour long Spring Band Concert, Rutgers Choral Competition (where both our ensembles got a superior scoring), SHS Fair, Statistics Carnival, and Junior Prom all in May. Near the end of the month, the Senior Awards Ceremony was held in the Performing Arts Center where chosen seniors were given scholarships from different donors and organizations in an effort to help them pay for their college/future experiences. The next day was the Chorus Spring Concert: the last one of my high school years. This was especially emotional for me because my four years of high school chorus was coming to an end. The collegiate-level music, full sound, and energized atmosphere really made the day unforgettable. The link to watch the concert can be found here: https://monroetv.viebit.com/player.php?hash=ReTzg1eCvVc2.
The whole MTHS Chorus performs their energetic set in the 2022 Spring Chorus Concert.
June 2022
This was the table set up at Senior Prom.
The last month of school was kicked off with Senior Brunch and Senior Prom on the 3rd. Senior Prom was held at Warehouse 100, the event venue next to iPlay America, from 6 to 11 pm. Everyone wore their best dresses and suits, danced, and took pictures throughout the night. The week after that was the Senior Picnic at Eagles Landing Day Camp, where students could go on the zip-line, swim in the pool, run through the Spray Park, play mini-golf, etc. for the whole school day.
Once I finish writing this article, I have to start getting ready for Bhangrafest later tonight, which is being held at 6 pm in the MTHS gym. Bhangra Fest is another type of energetic folk dance that originated in Punjab, India.
After this event is over, the only thing left is graduation (which by the way is being held at 3 pm on June 24th at the Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton, New Jersey). I think the hardest thing to wrap my head around is the fact that I may never again see those acquaintances whose wave in the hallway has become a fixture in my daily life even though I rarely talk to them. I think it’s the fact that we’ll never be the Class of 2022 again because everyone is on to bigger and better things in college. While I’m so excited for the next chapter of my life, I’m always going to remember my senior year here at Monroe Township High School. Congratulations again, and while I know change is difficult to accept, I know that we’re all going to do great things in the future!